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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23993806">Star Light, Star Bright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kmj07/pseuds/kmj07'>kmj07</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>X-Men - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:06:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>52,947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23993806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kmj07/pseuds/kmj07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stella Castellanos was used to hiding in her rundown circus tent, reading the fortunes of anyone willing to pay. But that was before Professor Charles Xavier wheeled his way into her tent and offered her a place in his school. Suddenly, she has friends and a place to belong. A place to shine. But she has secrets to hide, as well. Secrets that could hurt her and those around her. Crossposted from Fanfiction.net</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"And how can Madame Estrella help you gentlemen?" I intoned in my fake Gypsy voice. I looked up to see a tall, skinny, nerdy-looking guy around my age pushing a guy in a wheelchair further into my tent, parking him at my table. Wheels looked late twenties, maybe early thirties, but was still really attractive. Which instantly put me on edge. And both men had that air of intelligence, which made me wonder why they were visiting me. Most guys like that stayed away from anything relating to mysticism.</p><p>"I would like a reading, please," Wheels asked, his cut-glass British accent melting my spine a little.</p><p>"Past or future?" I somehow had a feeling this was going to be interesting.</p><p>"Let's start with past, first," he said, a little smirk fighting to appear in the corner of his mouth.</p><p>"Past it is, then." I reached for his hand, steeling myself against the onslaught of visions that were coming. As soon as our skin touched, faces blurred behind my involuntarily closed eyelids, overwhelming me for a moment. It was a long moment, lasting longer than usual, but I managed to bring them under my control, much like Maximoff did with his horses in his show. I pulled at the faces that burned the most brightly. "You have a sister, someone you love deeply, yet she left you when you needed her most," I started, still in Gypsy mode. "She left, left with… with your best friend. They left you bleeding on a beach. And then you sent her away, the love of your life, you sent her away, to protect her."</p><p>A slight twitch in his hand was the only tell he let on. "She stuck with you through all of that, the surgery, the recovery, and still you sent her away. Okay, who are you, and why in the name of the Virgin were you on a beach with missiles crashing down on you?" The images I saw caused me to break character, mostly because they terrified me. For the first time ever, I wasn't so sure I could take my customers, if they so decided to hurt me. And even though one was wheelchair-bound didn't mean he couldn't do me some serious damage. After all, I knew more than anyone that physical appearances could be deceiving.</p><p>I tried to rip my hands away from Wheels's, but his grasp was suddenly iron. "We are not here to hurt you, Estrella. We've come to help you. We are like you," he said, in that obnoxiously calm British voice of his.</p><p>"Thanks, but I don't need any help," I retorted, still trying to free my hands. "I'm perfectly fine with my friends here in the circus."</p><p>"Do you think they would still be your friends if they found out you were the cause of the fire?" His tone was calm, but it sent ice down my back.</p><p>"How do you know that?" I felt frozen, the opposite of my normal state. I couldn't move, couldn't think. There was no way out of this. "What do you want from me?"</p><p>"We don't want anything from you, Estrella. We want to help you learn to control your powers, so you never have to be afraid of them again."</p><p>"WHO ARE YOU?" I cried, jerking my hand out of his and jumping out of my seat all in one movement. "How do you know that?" I'd never been more terrified in my life, except for the night of the fire.</p><p>"Because I'm just like you, Estrella." Wheels said it, but I was watching his face. His lips never moved.</p><p>"How did you do that? Are you some kind of ventriloquist or something?" We had a puppetmaster in the circus, but even his lips moved just the tiniest bit.</p><p>"No, my dear, I am a telepath. I can read your mind and speak to it."</p><p>"That's impossible." The words flew out of my mouth of their own accord, but his words settled into my mind, like they belonged there.</p><p>"We are mutants, all three of us in this tent. You can see a person's life with just a touch of their hand. I can read minds. Hank can… Well, Hank can tell you his mutation if he wishes." That last bit was said aloud, and Skinny Guy looked relieved. "My name is Charles Xavier, and I run a school for people like us. I would like you to come with us, and we can help you learn to control that magnificent flame that burns inside you."</p><p>"Plus, you can finish your education," Skinny Guy, or Hank, I assumed, added.</p><p>That idea was almost more attractive than learning to control my "magnificent flame". "How do I know you guys are telling the truth?" My mama didn't raise a stupid daughter, even if I did, occasionally, tend to act before thinking.</p><p>"You are free to look for yourself," Wheels told me, holding out his hand.</p><p>I couldn't really argue with that. After all, people had a hard time lying when I was combing through their memories. Taking his hand again, I didn't have to concentrate as much this time. He guided me, which was a bit distracting at first, showing me a group of teenagers, including his sister and Hank, in front of a huge house. The mansion changed a bit, and a few more teenagers joined, even a couple little kids. "This is just the beginning, Estrella, for our school. I want it to be a safe place for people like us, for mutants to come and learn. One day, I imagine it full of students and teachers, working together to learn and grow."</p><p>As he spoke, I could see what he was talking about. The halls of the mansion filled with teenagers and children, laughing, working, learning, flirting, playing. They were safe, and happy. In my vision, I looked up to see Wheels, only he had grown older. And balder. "We did it, Hank," he said happily in the future.</p><p>This time, it was Wheels who ended the contact. Once I brought myself back to the present, I realized he was staring at me in wonder. "You can see the future, as well?"</p><p>His awe didn't sit too well with me. "Why do you think I asked 'Past or future' when you came in?" I couldn't help it. Sarcasm seemed to be more my native tongue than either Spanish or English.</p><p>"I am sorry, my dear, but I thought it was simply part of the Gypsy act," he apologized.</p><p>"It's not. But I can't control that, either," I confessed. "I usually just see flashes that don't really make sense to me."</p><p>"We can work on that, as well. We all have had to learn to control our abilities. And I promise you that we will do everything we can to help you, if you decide to join us at the school."</p><p>"Stella?" Wheels's convincing was interrupted when Maximoff, the circus horsemaster, came to check on me. "Are you okay in here?" He came through my tent door looking rather imposing. His upper arms were about the same circumference of his horses' necks. And he was around six feet, three inches. We didn't know for sure, since he refused to let us measure him.</p><p>"Yeah, Max, I'm good," I smiled, trying to reassure him.</p><p>"Are you sure? Margot heard yelling," he said, glaring at my mutant guests.</p><p>"Yeah, I just saw something in his reading I wasn't expecting," I said, completely honest. After all, honesty is the best policy. But then, I improvised. "These are friends of my mom's, well, he is," I gestured to Wheels. "They lost contact after a while, but he just heard about what happened, and he wants to offer me a place in his school."</p><p>"Really? That's great!" Max's grin entirely transformed his face. Instead of glowering Groucho Marx eyebrows, you could now notice his honest eyes and simple kindness.</p><p>Hating that I was lying to the kindest soul in the circus, not to mention the simplest, I hurried to finish. "Yeah, he just found me after searching for so long. So I'm going to be leaving with him tonight."</p><p>My words surprised three people in the tent, but Wheels wasn't one of them. "Yes, we want to get her in as soon as possible, so she isn't behind the other students. We'll take good care of her, I assure you."</p><p>Max's face once again changed, this time into almost despair. "But who else is going to read to me and the horses if you go, Stella?"</p><p>It broke my heart, but I knew I had to do this. Mostly so I wouldn't hurt anyone else. "Rosie will read to you, Max. I'm sure she will. And if you ask nicely, she might even do the voices."</p><p>"Nobody does the voices like you do," he pouted.</p><p>"Rosie will learn, I'm sure. And I'll come visit, when I can," I assured, though I wasn't sure if that was a promise I could, or would, keep.</p><p>"Okay, but you can't leave before we close. You have to say goodbye," he said sternly.</p><p>"I won't, I promise. Do you really think I could leave my familia without saying goodbye?" I really only said this to please him. He was, after all, one of the few people in the circus who would even talk to me.</p><p>"Okay, I have to go back to the horses now." And with that, he slipped out of my tent with a grace that was surprising for someone his size.</p><p>"You're coming with us? Tonight?" That was only the second time Hank had spoken so far, so I really hadn't gotten a read on him, but he seemed surprised.</p><p>"Yeah." I sounded confident, when I was anything but. However, once I made my mind up, I rarely changed it. "No time like the present. Why so surprised?"</p><p>"Normally, our prospective students take a while to think things over, not to mention make arrangements," Wheels said. Ugh, I should probably start calling him Professor now, I thought to myself.</p><p>"Well, I don't see any reason not to leave now. Let me get a few things and we can go," I said aloud, jumping up from my seat.</p><p>"Now, now?" Hank seemed a little confused at this point, making me rethink that intelligent air about him.</p><p>"Yeah, now. What did you think I meant? Next year?" My sarcasm was leaking out again.</p><p>"But you just told-"</p><p>I cut him off. "I only told Max that so he wouldn't go to Regina, who would in turn go to her husband, who would try to stop me from leaving. Supposedly, I owe him for using this ratty thing," I said, gesturing to the tent we were standing in. "Now, are you going to help me pack, or were you planning on standing there watching me?"</p><p>What sounded suspiciously like a snort escaped the professor, while Hank jumped into action like he'd been set on fire. Which I most definitely had not done. With Hank's help, I got packed quickly enough. After all, it wasn't like I had that much to my name.</p><p>After slinging my bag over my shoulder, I looked at the other two. "Let's get this show on the road."</p><p>I started to grab my small trunk, but Hank stopped me. "I've got it," he said with a small, shy smile. It was at that moment, with his chivalry shining through his awkwardness, that I decided I liked this Hank character.</p><p>Wheels, I mean, Professor Xavier, led the way out of my tent. I followed, only stopping by Margot and her snack cart. It was a quick in-and-out, but I couldn't leave without telling her goodbye. After all, she had been my mother's best friend and had kept a good eye on me ever since her death.</p><p>"Is there anyone else you would like to say goodbye to?" Professor Wheels asked me as I rejoined them, with another bag slung over my shoulder.</p><p>"Nope," I said cheerily. "Now, how are we getting to this school of yours?"</p><p>I knew from his pointed glance that the good professor had noticed my change of topic, but he thankfully didn't say anything. "We have a plane. It's not far from here."</p><p>"You have a plane. Of course you do," I mumbled under my breath.</p><p>Hank laughed. "It's not exactly what you're thinking." At my quizzical glance, he shrugged. "It's sort of one of those things you have to see to believe."</p><p>I didn't understand what he meant, but I still went with them, anyway. We managed to leave the circus grounds without anyone noticing, or so I thought. Just as we exited the grounds to the parking lot, a hand grabbed me. "Where do you think you're going, little girl?" a voice sneered at me.</p><p>It was Larkin, Regina's husband. He was the ringmaster, and the boss man of the circus. "I'm leaving, Larkin. You never have to see me again," I said, trying for confidence but falling far short. The man terrified me, for more reasons than just his physical size.</p><p>"I don't think so," he snarled. "You still owe me, for everything. Especially for keeping my mouth shut to the police. I heard the cops in Miami are still looking for whoever set that fire." His hand tightened around my arm, lending a physical edge to his threat. "You little mutant brat."</p><p>Terror like I'd never known shot through me. How could he know? What was he going to do?</p><p>In my terror, I'd forgotten who I was with, the entire reason I was leaving. But Professor Xavier's words calmed me, just a bit. "I would unhand her, if I were you." His tone was calm, but there was steel behind it.</p><p>"And what are you gonna do about it?" Larkin spat, for once forgetting the cardinal rule of circus life: never be rude to a customer.</p><p>"Nothing. But you are going to unhand Estrella, and forget she left tonight. In the morning, you will be surprised to find her missing, but you will not look for her. And you will forget anything that happened in regards to any fire." Wheels had his hand by his temple, concentrating quite a bit on the larger man's face.</p><p>To my surprise, Larkin dropped my arm, turned around, and walked back to the circus. I gaped after him, then turned to Wheels. "What did you do?" I was grateful, and a little bit awed.</p><p>"I can do far more than just read people's mind, Estrella. I can… well, I can control minds, to put it indelicately. But it is only something I use in extreme cases. I could tell he meant you great harm." Once again, I heard the words in my mind, rather than with my ears.</p><p>"Wow, I think I'm really glad you're on my side," I sighed.</p><p>Hank laughed. "It's always good to have the professor on your side. It usually means you're on the right side."</p><p>Without any further incidents, we made it to the far side of the parking lot. I figured we would be driving to an airport, so I was expecting Hank and the Professor to lead me to a car. Instead, they didn't stop at any car, simply going on past the last one and into the small copse of trees nearby. This was normally the point where the girl was never seen from again in movies, and I halted nervously. "Maybe I should wait a while, give myself the chance to think it over," I said, more than a bit uneasy.</p><p>The professor laughed. "It's not what you're thinking, Estrella, I assure you. We simply landed the plane here to keep it away from prying eyes. It's on the other side of these trees."</p><p>I found myself believing and following him, and soon enough, I could see something that quickly grew into what only vaguely resembled a plane. "You expect me to get on this thing?"</p><p>Hank looked rather offended. "She is perfectly safe, far safer than any commercial plane in the air. And any military, for that matter."</p><p>"Hank designed the Blackbird, so he's a tad touchy," the professor explained with a smile. "Shall we?" Then, without seeing if I was following, he started wheeling himself up the ramp and into the plane, Hank attending behind with his hands hovering over the handles, just in case.</p><p>Right as he was passing into the plane, Hank looked over his shoulder at me. "You coming?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I followed the professor and Hank quickly, not giving myself a chance to wonder what in the name of all that is holy I was doing. My movements were a bit unconscious as I was trying not to think. Thinking was bad. Thinking would lead to second-guessing, and second-guessing would probably lead to running away. And for once, I actually felt like I was doing something right. There was no way I was about to let me ruin this.</p><p>My fingers were wrapped around the armrests of my seat for the entire flight. I'd never liked heights, and this was definitely not the way to do a first flight. But a thought I had stopped me from my mildly terrified thoughts of "Madre de dios, I'm gonna die!"</p><p>"Um, Professor Xavier," I thought as loudly as I could. After all, I didn't know how this whole thing worked.</p><p>"No need to shout, Estrella. I can hear you just fine," he replied, trying to hide a wince from his seat across from me.</p><p>"Oh, sorry," I apologized, feeling more than a little awkward about the whole situation.</p><p>"Not to worry, my dear. My telepathy is something that takes everyone a bit of getting used to," he assured. "Now, what did you want to ask me?"</p><p>"Um, well," I started slowly, not really knowing how to ask it.</p><p>Thankfully, at least in this instance, Professor Xavier could read my mind. "You're worried about paying for your schooling." It wasn't a question, but I nodded, a bit ashamed, anyway. "You don't need to worry about that. Tuition is based on an individual basis, and for you, it is free. And before you start feeling like a charity case, you'll be happy to know that you are not the only student to be attending pro bono. Several others are runaways, have no families to help provide for them. But you are part of our family now, and we take care of our own."</p><p>I was in awe, but also rather curious. "How can you guys afford that?" I knew I was being nosy, but I didn't care all that much. After all, they were the ones who'd come to me. I figured I was due a few answers.</p><p>"I inherited the house that we have transformed into the school, as well as a very large sum of money," Professor Xavier told me. "What better use for it that to help my fellow mutants?"</p><p>"Are you really this nice?" I didn't realize that I'd asked the question out loud, until Hank answered.</p><p>"He really is. Actually, even nicer," he said, grinning back at me over his shoulder. Then, he took in my clenched hands and frowned. "We didn't even hit any turbulence," he grumbled.</p><p>"Sorry, I just really have this thing about heights," I apologized. And his spy plane freaked me out, but I wasn't about to tell him that. I saw Professor Xavier silently chuckle, so I had a feeling that he'd heard that last thought of mine.</p><p>"We're approaching the mansion," Hank said, still a bit grumpy. Then, without further ado, he tipped the plane, making a short scream erupt from my throat. Once we were on solid ground, I caught him grinning far too smugly for my satisfaction. I started to rethink my decision to like him.</p><p>Hank started to help the professor unfasten his wheelchair, but was waved off. "I think Estrella could use your help, though, Hank," he was told with a smile.</p><p>Sadly, the assessment was correct. Somehow I'd managed to hopelessly tangle the seatbelt around me, and there was no end in sight for me. "I think I just recreated the Gordian Knot," I sighed, waving down at the straps that crossed and recrossed my chest, holding me into the seat that I was quite anxious to vacate, just so I would be off the plane.</p><p>Hank quirked an eyebrow in surprise at my mythological reference, but merely said, "Let's just hope we don't have to solve it the way Alexander did."</p><p>"What did Alex do this time?" a voice asked, followed by a freckled face framed with a bright red mane popping into view from the ramp. "'Cause whatever it was, I wasn't there."</p><p>"No, Sean, you most assuredly were not, since Alexander the Great was the one mentioned," the professor said dryly, wheeling himself down the ramp.</p><p>Hank pulled the last strap off me, brushing my hand with his as he did so. The faces and scenes that swam through my mind from this contact drowned out the response the new person gave Xavier.</p><p>"Estrella, are you alright?" Hank looked concerned, far too concerned about little old me. So I did what I did best.</p><p>I grinned and stood up. "You look muy hermoso in blue, Hank," I told him with a wink, grabbing my bag and sauntering past him in his shocked state.</p><p>The professor must have heard me, since he had a small smirk on his face as he introduced me to the redhead. "Sean, this is Estrella Castellano, our newest student. Estrella, this is Sean Cassidy, one of our teachers here."</p><p>Sean didn't look more than twenty, so I wasn't sure how he could be a teacher, but I didn't say anything. "Nice to meet you," I said, blatantly ignoring his outstretched hand.</p><p>"You, too, Est- Ast-, I can't pronounce your name at all. I'm terrible at Spanish," he apologized, even as he dropped his hand a bit suspiciously.</p><p>"You can call me Stella," I assured him, forcing a smile. After all, no one was going to like me if I refused handshakes and frowned all the time. "Actually, you all can. Estrella kinda makes me feel like I'm in trouble."</p><p>Sean cracked a grin at that. "Stella it is. Why don't you come on into the house and you can meet everyone else?" He gestured grandly toward the door of the hangar, motioning for me to go ahead.</p><p>As soon as I walked outside, I knew I'd made a mistake. "Madre de dios! It's cold!" I screeched, instantly wrapping my arms around myself in a futile attempt to warm up. My normal attire was not going to cut it here.</p><p>The professor had the grace to try to hold back his smile, but Hank and Sean simply laughed aloud. "It's barely chilly," Hank told me.</p><p>"It is September in New York," Xavier added.</p><p>"You might as well have taken me to Antarctica," I complained.</p><p>Sean ducked back into the hangar, emerging with a leather jacket in his hands. "Here, this should help," he said, holding it out for me to slip my arms into. "Alex won't mind. Too much."</p><p>But his words blurred together as his hand glanced over my bare neck. The contact was longer than it had been with Hank, and the faces racing through my mind caused me to stumble. If Sean hadn't been so close, I would have been on the ground.</p><p>"Stella, are you alright?" Xavier's worried voice echoed through my mind and ears, but it took me a minute to be able to focus enough to answer him.</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I said, straightening up. "It's just been a long night, and I had a lot of customers before you boys came to see me. I usually go all day without touching other people after working a show."</p><p>It was a testament to how rattled I was that it took seeing Sean's slightly raised eyebrows to realize how my words had sounded. "NO! Not like that! I'm- was a fortune teller in a circus!"</p><p>"Eh, don't sweat it. We had a girl on the team who used to be a… an exotic dancer," he told me cautiously. "We don't really judge too much around here."</p><p>That was a nice thought, but I somehow doubted the validity. Everybody judged; it was their reaction to their judgement that I generally had a problem with.</p><p>The three guys hurried me into the house. "If anyone is still up, they'll probably be in the kitchen," Xavier said, leading the way.</p><p>Since it was dark, I hadn't been able to see the outside of the house very well, but the inside was very impressive. "We'll give you a real tour tomorrow, Stella. But for now, we'll just introduce you to a few others, so you know at least some of your classmates," the professor told me, still wheeling through the halls as easily as I walked. Possibly easier, since he had familiarity on his side. "I've had a few years to get used to my situation," he assured me silently, throwing a small, self-deprecating grin my way.</p><p>"Sorry," I mentally apologized.</p><p>"It's quite alright to be curious. And I will try not to read your mind, but I'm having a bit of a difficult time blocking your thoughts out. You seem to be thinking… well, rather loudly. And here we are," the professor added aloud. "This is the kitchen, and yes, just who I thought would be up at this time of night."</p><p>Our little group walked into a kitchen that was bigger than the trailer I'd lived in for my entire life. Sitting at a table with a huge ice cream sundae between them were two girls. One was tiny, even shorter than me, with inky hair cut in a bob and big green eyes. She looked a bit like a fairy. The other looked like she'd stepped off the pages of Vogue, even in tiny pink pajamas. I could tell she was very tall and slim, with sheets of long, perfectly straight platinum blonde hair. She was what every girl wanted to look like, making me feel more like a reject Latina Barbie than ever; short, dark, and frumpy.</p><p>"Genni, Claire, I'd like you to meet Stella. She's agreed to join us here at the school," Xavier introduced.</p><p>The little one, Genni, waved, while Claire, the gorgeous one, said, "Oh, look at you! Your clothes are so gorgeous! I love them!" That instantly made me like her, regardless of how inferior I felt because of her looks.</p><p>"Thanks," I mumbled, still feeling rather out of place.</p><p>"Do you have a room in mind for Stella yet, Charlie?" Claire asked the professor. I couldn't help but stare at the blatant familiarity, bordering on disrespect, in her tone, but she ignored it.</p><p>"I thought she might share Grace's room," he answered, not bothered in the least.</p><p>Claire and Genni shared a quick glance, before Claire said, "She can share our room. There's plenty of space."</p><p>"You do realize your father is paying for a private room for you, and you're already sharing it with one other person." Xavier's tone was rather sardonic.</p><p>"What am I always telling you, Charlie? What Daddy doesn't know won't hurt him," she replied with a cheeky grin.</p><p>Without looking at the other guys, Xavier smiled and said, "Sean, Hank, will you move another bed and dresser into Miss Warren and Miss Gallagher's room, please?"</p><p>"And would you boys be dears and take her things with you? She definitely needs to help us finish this ice cream," Claire said sweetly.</p><p>Hank was blushing as he took my bag from me, then he and Sean headed upstairs. "You may as well get used to it, Stella. Claire always gets her way, one way or another," Xavier told me. "I will leave you now to get to know your new roommates, but I would like to meet with you in the morning. We need to work out your schedule."</p><p>I nodded in agreement, before he said goodnight to all of us, then wheeled out. "I wasn't kidding when I said we needed help with this thing," Claire told me, gesturing to the bowl in front of them. "It's huge."</p><p>"It got bigga than we were anticipatin'," Genni added softly. "Spoons are in that drawer ovah thare."</p><p>Still very unsure about the whole situation, I slowly got a spoon and joined them. After all, there was a lot of ice cream, and it did look good. After I stuck a spoonful in my mouth, Claire piped up and asked, "So, what are you in for?"</p><p>At my startled look, Claire laughed, and Genni clarified for me. "She meant what's yahr powah? Ah'm a feral, an' Claire is an empath. So what's yahr powah?"</p><p>"What does that even mean? Feral, empath?" I was more confused than I had been all night.</p><p>"You don't know much about mutants, do you?" Claire was the one to ask the question, but I didn't feel like she was making fun of me.</p><p>Which was why I answered honestly. "I only know a little, mostly what's been on the news. And that I am a mutant. That's all."</p><p>"I'm leaving this one to ya, Sugah," Genni told Claire. "Ya know more of the genetics of it all."</p><p>"Meh, that's a bit much for the first night. Easy answer is an empath is a person who can feel others' emotions. With Charlie's help, I'm starting to be able to manipulate them, help stabilize them. And a feral is a mutant with animalistic tendencies, and in Genni's case, features."</p><p>"Features?" I asked slowly, not noticing anything odd about the small girl.</p><p>She grinned sharply, and pointed canines glinted in her smile. Then, she pushed her hair behind an ear that was also pointed. "An' Ah have claws, but don't worry. Ah keep 'em trimmed."</p><p>"So, what's your power?" Claire asked again, seeming a bit impatient.</p><p>"I have to show you. I don't really know what to call it," I explained, then closed my eyes to their expectant faces. There was a moment of intense concentration, then I heard a twin gasp that made my eyes fly open.</p><p>"That is seriously groovy," Claire breathed, while Genni nodded in agreement, both still staring at the little ball of light floating around the ceiling.</p><p>"Ya took it from the light bulb," Genni said a moment later, looking even more surprised.</p><p>I had to do something with the energy before it got out of hand, so I put it back into the light. "Yeah," I finally said. "I can take power from anything around me." And anyone, I added silently.</p><p>"That is boss," Claire repeated excitedly.</p><p>"Thanks, but I can't really control it," I replied.</p><p>"That's what ya're here for," Genni told me softly. "It's what we're all here for."</p><p>Soon enough, the girls were telling me about the others in the school, while we polished off the massive ice cream sundae. "And don't worry. Alex and Sean may seem really young, Hank, too, but they really know their stuff. And Charlie is one of the top geneticists in the world."</p><p>"And you call him Charlie?" I questioned Claire, a bit unsure of this aspect.</p><p>She grinned. "Of course. It gets under his skin, but he doesn't really mind. And it keeps him humble. Can't let him get a big head."</p><p>"Says the girl who has a bigga ego than the whole a Europe," Genni said, a sardonic grin twisting her lips.</p><p>"Exactly. I can't have any competition," was Claire's logical response. "Now, we should really go on up to our room so we can make sure the boys are getting everything in the right place. You know how men are: they always need direction."</p><p>The girls showed me the way to our room, just as a bed was moving down the hallway, followed by a dresser. "Don't knock the table over," Hank called to Sean and the other person moving the bed.</p><p>"If you're so worried, Hank, why don't you move the bed next time?" the other guy grunted, slightly muffled from his face being smooshed into the mattress as Sean tried to get his end into the room.</p><p>"Who's got the dresser by himself?" was Hank's slightly annoyed reply.</p><p>"Who's the feral and can lift the dresser by himself?" the other guy shot back.</p><p>"Quit whining and push," was all Sean said, finally getting the mattress into the doorway.</p><p>We watched as the three of them manipulated the furniture into the room, not willing to offer help for fear of being in the way. Well, that was my reason. I was fairly positive that Claire was enjoying watching Hank's muscles as he wrangled the unruly dresser through the door. For someone so scrawny looking, he sure did have some nice arms. And Genni seemed so fragile that she might break if she was to even try to help.</p><p>"Thank you, boys. You're all such gentlemen," Claire flirted, once the guys got everything in place.</p><p>Three heads snapped up to look at us, and Hank instantly flushed. Sean grinned, but the blond third guy narrowed his eyes. My Tia Rosana's voice echoed through my memories: "Never trust a pretty boy Yanqui, Estrella. Never."</p><p>"Is that my jacket?" Whatever I'd been expecting to come out of the blond's mouth, that was probably at the end of the list. If it had even made it.</p><p>"If your name is Alex, then yes," I said, immediately starting to take off said jacket. I'd forgotten I was even wearing until that moment.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, Stella's not used to our weather, so I grabbed it from the hangar. It was the only one in there, and I knew you wouldn't care," Sean explained.</p><p>"No, I don't, it was just weird to see it on somebody else, especially somebody I don't know. I'm Alex Summers," he told me, hand stretched out for mine, just like Sean had.</p><p>This time, I had a better way to dodge it. I put his jacket in his hand. "Stella Castellano. Nice to meet you." Which was rather true on a few levels. Though Professor Xavier was very attractive in his proper British way, there was something about Alex that instantly attracted me. It may have been the plain white t-shirt, or the James Dean haircut, but whatever it was, I knew to stay far away. Experience had told me that guys who looked like that wanted nothing good from girls who looked like me.</p><p>Claire smiled charmingly at the three males. "Well, thank you boys, again, but it's late, and we have classes in the morning. And we all need our beauty sleep."</p><p>Thankfully, they took the hint and headed for the door. Thanks was on my lips when I felt Alex brush against my now bare arm. I tensed, expecting a rush of faces and scenery, but got something very different instead, nothing I could have prepared for. I saw nothing at all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Stella? Stella, can you hear me?" Xavier's voice echoed around my mind, but it took me a minute to be able to follow it out. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking rapidly, to see six anxious faces looking down at me. It was then that I realized I was lying in Alex's arms.</p><p>I pushed myself up quickly, careful to avoid any skin contact with anyone, but especially with Alex. There was no way I could handle any other visions that day. Or that disturbing blackness.</p><p>"Are ya alrigh', Sugah?" Genni asked quietly. "Ya didn' bump yar head or anythin'?"</p><p>I barely heard Genni's concern, far too busy trying to force down the panic I was feeling. My panicking caught the good professor's attention. "Calm your mind, Stella. You're making the lights flicker."</p><p>Instantly, I realized he was right, and the others were sharing worried glances. "Why don't we go to my office, Stella, and we can talk there for a few moments before going to bed, shall we?" This time, he'd said it out loud, and I could feel everyone else's relief at the suggestion. They were all scared of me.</p><p>"For you, Stella," Xavier corrected as he guided me out of the room. "They are all worried for you."</p><p>That was an odd concept for me to wrap my mind around. I'd never had more than three people worrying about me in my life, and now, six people, who'd only known me for an evening or less, apparently cared about me. It was rather bizarre.</p><p>"Get used to it. This school is not only a safe place for mutants, but a place where we've all become a family. Of course, like any family, not all get along, but we do try," he said wryly, guiding me into what was apparently his office. "Now, why don't you sit down and tell me what you saw when you touched Alex."</p><p>I didn't realize it, but he'd successfully distracted me, for just a moment. But then, at his words, the horrifying blackness came creeping back, threatening to blot out my sight again. "Stella, breathe, just breathe. You're alright, you're safe. Just breathe. You're safe. Nothing's going to get you here. Breathe."</p><p>The professor's instructions made their way through my mind, penetrating my frenzied panic. I took a deep breath, then another, and soon I was able to push the panic away. It was five minutes more before I was able to speak again, though.</p><p>"Alright, Stella. Why don't you tell me what it is that has you so worried, hm? If it's something from Alex's past, I assure you, he's-" Xavier started to tell me, but it wasn't Alex's past that had me so afraid.</p><p>"It's not his past. It's his future. Or, more to the point, the fact that he doesn't have one." My voice was rather dead, unfeeling, but that was the only way I could handle everything, pushing all emotion away, even if it was just for a moment.</p><p>"What do you mean, he doesn't have one?" He was finally beginning to understand my panic.</p><p>"When I touched him, I saw nothing. A big, empty blackness. There have been three other people I've touched and saw this same nothing, and they have all died within twenty-four hours," I explained, focusing my gaze on a particular knot in the wood of his desk, not daring to look at him.</p><p>"Within twenty-four hours, you say?" He wanted clarification, of course, not that I blamed him.</p><p>I nodded. "The first time, I was twelve and just got my… powers. It was a man, he'd come to see my mama for a reading, and he brushed past me to leave the tent. He died twenty minutes later, choking on a peanut. Next, I was fourteen, and we got a new roustabout. He was trying to flirt with me, brushing my hair out of my face. He died that night, when a horse got loose and trampled him. Third, a lady came to see me last year, and she died in an accident on the way home from the circus that night. So, yes, Alex has another day, at most, to live."</p><p>Xavier was quiet for a moment, thoughtful, taking everything I'd told him in. Then he thought of something. "But you didn't see when your mother died, or your aunt?" he questioned quietly.</p><p>I knew what he was thinking. "If I get used to a person's touch, I can make the visions stop. They might still happen, every now and then, but not often. And my mama was a very affectionate sort, so I got used to her touch very quickly after I got my powers. And we lived in the same tent as Tia Rosana, so there was no way we could get around without touching, even accidentally."</p><p>"Hmm," was his only response. Finally, he eventually told me, "Well, thank you for telling me this. I can only hope that there is some other reason for your vision, or lack thereof. Not that I doubt you, of course, simply that I have to hope that one of my closest friends will not be leaving us so very soon. Tell me, Stella, can you see your own future, or past?"</p><p>"My past, sure, just like anyone else can, through memories. But through my powers, no. And I can't see my future anymore than you can."</p><p>"Hmmm," he said again. "Well, I can't think of anything that we can do tonight, so why don't you head back to your room? And if I know Genni, your bed will be waiting for you when you get back. We can talk more in the morning, when we discuss your class schedule."</p><p>"Alright," I said, standing up to do as he said. After all, there was nothing I could do to stop the death I knew was coming.</p><p>"And Stella, try not to worry too much. I know it's difficult, but worrying does no good for anyone."</p><p>I nodded, though knowing that wasn't a possibility.</p><p>Back in my new room, both Claire and Genni had already gone to bed, though they had made mine first, just as the professor had predicted. I grabbed pajamas from my bag and changed in the bathroom, before going to my new bed. Worrying isn't doing any good, I repeated, over and over, trying to get myself to calm down. But it didn't seem to do any good.</p><p>I slipped under the warm blankets, grateful for the three extra the other girls had gotten for me. But try as I might, the comfortable mattress never felt quite right. It didn't have the familiar lumps and dips that I'd been used to for so long. And it didn't have that lingering scent, vanilla and lime and something entirely Mama. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to drown out the doubts and worries that were plaguing me.</p><p>It had probably been more than twenty minutes of me flopping and twisting on my new bed before I felt it. It was a light touch in my mind, just a whisper, really, like a soft hand brushing across my forehead, only mentally. Comfort wrapped around me more snugly than any blanket, and I was finally able to sleep.</p><p>...</p><p>Six o'clock came far too early the next day. "Shut it up, Gen," Claire mumbled into her pillow as she pulled it over her head.</p><p>"It" was Genni's alarm clock, which was blaring The House of the Rising Sun. Far too convenient for my taste. And when the jockey said, "That's to wake all you sleepyheads up," I wanted to reach through the air waves and strangle him.</p><p>"Well, girls, who wants ta be the first in the shower?" Genni asked, then yawned hugely.</p><p>"I nominate you, since you asked." Claire ripped the pillow off her face only so she could glare at her friend.</p><p>"Well, Ah nominate you," Genni said, stubbornly folding her arms over her chest.</p><p>The two glared at each other for a moment, before gaining identical grins. I already knew where this was headed before they turned to me. "I'll take the first shower," I said, reluctantly leaving my cozy nest of blankets.</p><p>Fifteen minutes later found me walking out of our shared bathroom, nearly ready for the day. "How do you do that?" Claire asked me, half in awe, half in something like disgust. "Especially with that thick hair you've got?"</p><p>My confusion must have shown again, since Genni took pity on me and interpreted. "She wants ta know how ya take such a short shower."</p><p>"Oh." Was that all? "Um, I'm used to only taking baths, so a shower is a nice change for me." After all, circus tents and trailers didn't really come equipped with showers.</p><p>"Ugh, if you weren't so adorable, I would feel obligated to hate you," Claire moaned.</p><p>"Um, thanks?" I was starting to feel that confusion was going to be a permanent state around her.</p><p>Genni laughed as she collected clothes. "Don't worry. She's all bark, no bite. At least not if she likes ya."</p><p>Once Genni was in the bathroom, I looked to my other roommate. "Thank you, for last night."</p><p>"Oh, that was nothing. We just made your bed, love. And now, you have to let me do your hair. It's absolutely gorgeous."</p><p>She had me sitting on my bed with my back to her before I even realized what she had done. As she ran my brush through my hair, I tried to thank her again. "That wasn't what I meant, but thanks for that, too. I meant for… for the other thing."</p><p>"What other thing? I didn't do anything last night." Claire's tone made it clear that she knew exactly what I'd meant, but didn't want to talk about it, so I let it go. I wasn't going to push away one of the few people I'd met so far, especially one who'd been so nice to me, if a little odd. But then, who was I to talk about quirks? I had a whole slew of them.</p><p>After a few minutes, Claire declared that my hair was done, then shoved me to the huge mirror on the wall. "So, what do you think?" she asked, sounding confident, but I caught the twinge of anxiousness.</p><p>I stared at my reflection, turning this way and that, in awe of what she'd wrought. Instead of my normal messy curls, my hair was all back in some fancy braid that I wasn't even sure how I'd be able to take out later. Not that I would ever want to, but I knew it wouldn't last forever, sadly.</p><p>"What do you think?" Claire's impatient echo broke my study of myself.</p><p>"This is bella, beautiful," I corrected myself. "I love it!"</p><p>"Oh good," she sighed, before going back to her normal, larger-than-life persona. "I mean, I knew you were going to like it."</p><p>"Of course ya did," Genni laughed. "Now get in the shower, or we're neva gonna make breakfast."</p><p>"Why do I let a fifteen-year-old shrimp boss me around?" Claire retorted, but got her clothes, anyway.</p><p>"'Cause ya love me, an' Ah'm adorable," Genni quipped with an answering grin.</p><p>"It's a good thing," was the grumble we heard as the bathroom door shut.</p><p>I made my bed while Genni finished getting ready, then we waited for a good forty minutes more before Claire finally emerged from the bathroom, looking like a runway model. "Well, are you two ready?" she demanded, like we hadn't been waiting for her.</p><p>Genni glanced at me in amusement, but chose not to say anything as she led the way from the room. "The dinin' room is right next to the kitchen, where we were last night," she told me. I nodded, even though, other than downstairs, I had no idea where that was.</p><p>"Breakfast isn't too much of a big deal, just cereal, toast, juice, that sort of thing," Claire added, linking her arm through mine as we headed down the stairs. "Except on the weekends, and then we go all out. But it's more like brunch, so we get to sleep in."</p><p>I was beginning to realize just how important sleep was to this girl. Even for all her flippant comments. "So there's a schedule even during the weekend?" I asked, trying to get my bearings in this totally new environment. After all, I'd never actually attended a legitimate school before. All my learning had come from Mama, Tia Rosana, and Margot, squeezed in where we had time. And books. Lots and lots of books.</p><p>"No, not really. Sean and Alex just really like cooking breakfast foods. It started out as a sort of competition two years ago, and then it evolved into a tradition. There isn't really time during the week, what with their classes and training and everything, for them to cook every morning, so they do it on Saturdays and Sundays. And it's delicious." Claire's voice was almost a moan, and the look on her face was rather expressive. It was becoming clear to me that she also valued food, possibly even more than sleep. Probably more, since she had been eating an ice cream sundae at eleven o'clock the night before, instead of sleeping.</p><p>"Yeah, neva get between Claire an' her food. It's neva gonna end well for ya."</p><p>"Nope," the girl in question agreed cheerfully. "So let's go, girls. There's cereal to be devoured. Cocoa Puffs, to be exact."</p><p>It was funny, her attitude towards food. Most girls who looked like her would have been mortified to even think about eating something so unhealthy; I'd seen it at the circus all the time. But here Claire was, willing to eat anything she wanted to. It was rather refreshing, actually.</p><p>"So there's about twenty, twenty, right, Gen?" Claire asked, then continued at Genni's bobbed nod in affirmation. "Twenty students here at Xavier's, going from Joey, who's seven, to Connor and me, at eighteen."</p><p>"I'm eighteen, too," slipped out of my mouth before I really thought about it.</p><p>"When's your birthday?" she demanded, looking a bit sharp for a moment, though I couldn't figure out why.</p><p>"April third," I answered slowly.</p><p>"Damn. You're older than me," she pouted, before perking up. "That means we have time to plan the perfect party for you!"</p><p>Before I could protest that I most certainly did not want a party, for my birthday or otherwise, we entered the dining room. "Grab a plate, an' dig in," Genni told me, doing as she'd instructed me.</p><p>"Who's the Gypsy?" a snide voice asked from farther in the room.</p><p>I bristled at that. Not that there was anything wrong with Gypsies, but I was quite proud of my heritage. "I'm Cubana," I corrected, turning around to see a slim girl with her nose turned up, looking down at me, even for her sitting down.</p><p>"Oh, sorry. Who's the Spick?" she spat.</p><p>I opened my mouth to reply, though I wasn't entirely sure what I would say, but Claire beat me to it. "This is my new friend, Stella. And if you can't say something nice, you know where the door is, Veronica." The bitterness in her voice told me that there was more to this than just defending me, but I was glad she was on my side.</p><p>"Veronica" simply smirked, turning away from us swiftly, like we were boring her. "Let's get our food an' sit down," Genni suggested quietly, looking anxiously between Claire and me.</p><p>Claire grabbed a glass of juice and stomped over to a table, where she proceeded to glare at the back of Veronica's head, while Genni and I finished getting breakfast. I couldn't help but notice that Genni had grabbed a bowl of Claire's favorite cereal, as well, sliding it under her nose. And I grinned when Claire started eating, seemingly unaware that she was doing so amidst her glaring.</p><p>I couldn't really ask what there was between Claire and Veronica in an increasingly full room, especially as others started noticing me. "Hi, I'm Joey. You must be new," an adorable little boy told me, whistling slightly through the hole where a baby tooth had fallen out. His bright red hair and freckles instantly endeared me to him, as did the energetic grin on his face.</p><p>"You're right," I told him, unable to help grinning back at him. "I'm-"</p><p>"Stella, I hope you had a pleasant first night here," Professor Xavier said, an easy smile on his face. A few thoughts raced through my mind, mostly of seeing blackness in Alex's future, and second-guessing my decision to come, and his smile fell. "Are you nearly finished with your breakfast so we could discuss your schedule?"</p><p>I looked down at my plate, that had only help a piece of toast in my nervousness anyway, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm all done."</p><p>"Excellent. Thank you, girls, for showing Stella the way down this morning, and you, too, Joey, for welcoming her so early." Joey, adorably, beamed in recognition.</p><p>"Of course, Charlie. Did you think we were going to dump her behind the bunker? She's our friend," Claire retorted, clearly still a little miffed.</p><p>The professor simply smiled. "After you, Stella."</p><p>We made it out of the dining room before I had no idea where to go next. "To your left, my dear," came the mental instruction, and the sound of his wheelchair followed me.</p><p>It became clear that we were heading toward the stairs, which I felt posed a bit of a challenge for someone wheelchair-bound. "Not to worry," he told me, smiling as he pushed a button on the wall. The gorgeous panelling opened to reveal a rather modern elevator, one that seemed a bit out of place with the rest of the house. "It's new, after the events that you saw last night," Xavier told me, after the doors had shut behind us. "It got rather tiring levitating myself up and down the stairs all the time."</p><p>"You can do that?" I gasped, not realizing that was even possible.</p><p>"Yes, I'm telekinetic, as well. But there are limits to what I can do with that, just like with any other power. But we're not here to talk about me, now are we?" he said with a smile, gesturing me to leave the elevator as the doors smoothly opened, showing off his office. I noticed more of the room than I had the night before, everything neatly in its place seemed to fit the professor perfectly.</p><p>"I'm glad you think so," he said, then he realized what he'd done. "You didn't say that out loud, did you?"</p><p>I shook my head, not really sure what was going on. From what I could tell, this was unusual, even for a mutant professor specializing in unusual. He sighed, gesturing for me to take a seat, then wheeled himself around the massive, highly polished desk to face me. "I'm not sure why I can't seem to tune your thoughts out, Stella. I'm not even sure if it's on your end, or mine. But I promise you that I will try to allow you to have privacy in your own mind. I know how much I value my thoughts to remain that way, so I can imagine how much you do, as well."</p><p>I still wasn't sure if the professor was really all he seemed to be. He almost seemed too good to be true.</p><p>"I assure you, I have my flaws," he said, a smile breaking across his face at my thoughts. "I can be incredibly stubborn, and am a horrible patient, among other things."</p><p>His assurances made me smile a little, though now that I was back in the office, I couldn't help but be reminded of our last conversation there. "Is Alex alright?"</p><p>Xavier's smile dimmed. "He's fine, so far this morning, though quite annoyed with how many times I've checked in with him already. But I would far rather have him annoyed with me and alive than not. Now, we should discuss your schedule so you can join your classmates soon."</p><p>The next hour or so was spent going over my schooling history, or lack thereof. "I'm impressed with what you've managed to do on your own. I believe your mother would be very proud of you and your accomplishments," Xavier told me, a big smile on his face. "And I know Hank will be excited to have another scientifically minded person around here. He's always lamenting Sean and Alex's lack in that department."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here's the next chapter, a day early even! That's to make up for the cliffie last week! Thanks for reading, and thanks to brigid1318 for your lovely comments. Even though you already commented on nearly every chapter on Fanfiction.net!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Professor Xavier, or Charles, as he convinced me was alright to call him, figured out a schedule for me that was suited to my particular schooling needs. I'd sort of assumed he would simply throw me in with the others of similar age, but he assured me that everyone had an individualized schedule. "After all," he said, smiling, "no two people are exactly the same, and I believe that schooling should be tailored to each student and what he or she needs.</p><p>"And, with that in mind, I believe that Alex would be the best suited to helping you understand and gain control over your power. At least your energy power. His power is similar, and he had similar problems controlling it for quite a while before actually managing it. With your other powers, I will be working with you. Hopefully, we will be able to get to a point where you no longer fear touching others, or what you might see. How does that sound to you?"</p><p>"Great, except for the fact that one of my proposed teachers is going to be dead in the next twelve hours or so," I said, sugary sweetness coating my sarcasm.</p><p>Professor… Charles frowned briefly. "Yes, well, if that happens, then we will have to rearrange a bit, but everyone will. For now, I think it best if we proceed as if Alex will live hail and hearty for many years yet. Now, I suppose it's time to take you on a tour of this place, and then we'll send you to your first class. Oh, and let me get you some supplies. It wouldn't do to show up to a class without paper and pencil, at the very least."</p><p>He wheeled himself to a cabinet, then pulled out assorted notebooks. "Do you prefer pencils or pens, Stella?" he asked me. When I shrugged, he smiled and handed me several of both. "Now, if there's anything specific you might need for a class, the teacher will give it to you. Do you need to make a stop by your room before we take our tour?"</p><p>"Um, si, yes, I could grab my bag. It would make carrying all of this easier," I said, referring to the supplies he'd handed me.</p><p>"Splendid. Then we shall be on our way." Charles wheeled himself to the door, opened it, then held it for me. I wasn't used to people treating me like I actually mattered, so I stared at him for a moment, before shaking myself a bit and walking through the doors. "Of course you matter," he told me mentally. "And hopefully, before too long, you'll believe it, as well."</p><p>After stopping by my room, where I hastily dumped out what I'd packed into my bag, then shoved in my newly acquired notebooks and writing utensils, Charles showed me around the mansion, then out to the magnificent grounds. "This was my family's home, but I converted it into the school a few years ago, after the events in Cuba you saw last night. I am a professor, after all, and I want to help as many mutants as possible, help them to control their powers, not the other way around. And I would love to be able to find a way for all of us to live peaceably with the baseline humans. You may have already heard, and no doubt you will before too long around here, but there are some mutants who believe they are better than the rest of humanity simply because they have been blessed with these gifts. The Brotherhood of Mutants, as they call themselves, have declared war on anyone they deem less than themselves. But I see a future where mutants can live alongside humans without fear, on either side. And that is what I am striving for. Would you care to join me, Stella?"</p><p>My mind was swimming with possibilities. On one hand, I completely understood what Charles was proposing. I wanted to not only be able to control my powers, but also be able to freely use them without anyone fearing me for them. But on the other hand, I knew people. People tend to be scared of what they don't understand, and that fear tends to turn to hate. One needed only look at the civil rights movement going on to see that fear in action.</p><p>"I won't turn you away from the school if you say no, Stella," Charles told me softly. "But I see something in you, something that wants to make the world a better place. And we could most definitely use all the help we can get."</p><p>"Do you really believe that the regular people, the ordinary people will ever accept us for what we are?" I asked him, avoiding his question for a moment.</p><p>"Yes, I do. One day, perhaps far in the future, but yes, I do believe that they will come to accept us. I have to believe in the best of humanity, for I have seen the worst that people can do to each other. I have to believe that good will outweigh the bad, or else the fear might drive me mad," he said quietly.</p><p>That was what did it for me. I realized Charles wasn't a blind idealist, one who happily kept his head in the sand to avoid anything unpleasant. He was a dreamer, head in the clouds, but he was also a realist, feet firmly planted on the ground. "Alright, I'm in. I'll help you, but I don't know how much good it'll do. Especially since I still can't control any of my powers."</p><p>Charles was beaming before the words were even all out of my mouth. "And that's where we come in," he said, opening the door to what looked like a bomb shelter. "That's exactly what it is," he chuckled. "My stepfather was a bit on the paranoid side and was quite afraid of nuclear war. Alex will help you control your gift here."</p><p>"In a bunker."</p><p>"That way the only people you might hurt are me and you," Alex said, standing up from where he'd been leaning against the inside wall waiting for us. I couldn't help but admire the carelessly graceful way he'd done that. And then immediately hoped Charles wasn't paying attention to my apparently loud thoughts.</p><p>"I will leave you two to your own devices," Charles told us, wheeling his way back out. "And remember, Stella, Alex knows what he's talking about. The two of you have far more in common than either of you realize."</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" I called after him, but he didn't reply. Instead, he simply continued on his way back to the mansion, blissfully ignoring my hammering heart. Didn't he realize I might be the reason Alex dies?</p><p>"I think he meant that our powers are similar, and that we might have had similar experiences in trying to control them," Alex told me.</p><p>But I didn't want to be anywhere near him. By my calculations, he had about fourteen hours left to live. And there was no way I wanted to be using my power, my "gift" according to Charles, when he was around.</p><p>"Why don't you leave your bag outside, then shut the door? That way everything is contained in here, no stray sparks getting out," Alex told me, completely oblivious to the near panic attack I was experiencing. I simply stayed rooted to the spot, unable to figure out a way out of this, short of refusing to use my power and/or running away. Though those options were looking better and better all the time. "Stella, are you okay?"</p><p>Now he finally notices, I thought sardonically, amid the panic swirling in me. "No, I can't do this," I said shakily. "People get hurt when I use my power. Bad things happen when I use my power. I can't do this."</p><p>Mind finally made up, I turned to leave. But in my panic-induced myopia, I hadn't realized how close Alex had gotten to me. Before I was able to move more than three steps, Alex's hands were on my shoulders, though he was quite careful to avoid any skin contact. "Stella, it's okay. You can't hurt me. If you do hit me with your power, my power will just absorb it. You can't actually hurt me with your power. That's why Charles wanted me to help you, well, part of it. But you can't hurt me, okay? And down here, there's nothing to hurt. It's okay. You're safe here. You can't hurt anything down here. There's nothing for you to hurt." His words slowly made their way into my mind, sinking in slowly, allowing me to relax.</p><p>Once I stopped hyperventilating, which was mortifying when I became conscious of the fact that I was doing it, Alex grinned at me. "Now, how about we get started?" he said, taking my bag from me and putting it outside. Once the door was closed, I felt a little better. When he was back in front of me, he cocked an eyebrow at me. "Show me what you've got."</p><p>I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes. After a few seconds, I heard a "Huh," from Alex, to which my eyes flew open. Right in front of him, a little ball of red light was floating. I bounced it around the room for a bit, then released it back into the light bulb it had come from.</p><p>"Interesting," Alex said. "But that's nothing." He raised his hand, grinning, and three rings of red light shot out of it, right into the wall in front of us.</p><p>"Are you trying to encourage me, or just show off?" I had no idea what was going on.</p><p>"If your power is as dangerous as you seem to think, there's got to be more to it than a little red light from a light bulb," he shrugged, like making me angry was nothing to him.</p><p>I didn't answer, just glared at him. And in less than four seconds, every light bulb in the room was empty. Their light was now in a glowing ball bigger than a basketball, floating in front of me. The sensation was exhilarating, and I let it go to my head. Under my direction, the ball ricocheted around the room. The awed look on Alex's face fueled my enjoyment, and I kept going, drawing more power. It wasn't until he started coughing that I remembered what I was doing and released everything back to where it had come from. Rings swirled around Alex, before slowly sinking into his chest.</p><p>"Oh, Madre, are you alright? I've never done that before. Are you okay?" I asked, completely back in panic mode again.</p><p>"Relax," Alex told me, coughing a bit more. "That was my energy coming back to me. That's what it used to look like, before I could control it. So you can take energy from people, not just electricity?"</p><p>"Yeah, I can take energy from anything around me. Everything has potential energy, and I can take it."</p><p>"That is impressive. Now, I think we're done for today," he said, yet another cough ripping its way out of his chest.</p><p>"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" I started, afraid that I had scared him off, but he interrupted.</p><p>"I'm not mad. It's just time for your next class. We can't hear the bell in here, so Charles told me. You have Lit with him, right? Need help finding the classroom?"</p><p>"Um, maybe. Charles showed me where everything is, but I'm not sure I remember which one is the right one."</p><p>"Okay, I'll show you. It's on the way to my next class, anyway. And before you ask, I'm in charge of all the shop classes. I like to build things with my hands, especially machinery."</p><p>As we walked back to the mansion, my head was spinning with the contradictory nature of the guy next to me. He seemed self-assured, cocky, even, but yet willing to help others, too. He was capable of annoying with less than ten words, but had reassured me, as well. But before I could dwell on him further, I reminded myself that he would die that day, so I didn't need to try and figure him out.</p><p>"This one's you," Alex told me, pointing to a door a few feet away.</p><p>I headed toward it, then remembered the manners Mama had drilled into my head. Turning around, I said "Thank you."</p><p>He grinned again. "Anytime." Then he sauntered down the hall, ignoring the swooning girls he passed, who looked to be about thirteen.</p><p>I walked into the classroom and found myself to be the first student there. "How did your first training go?" Charles asked me kindly.</p><p>"Well, I didn't kill him, though I almost did," I mumbled. I then quickly recounted what had happened, keeping an eye on the door for other students.</p><p>Charles was quiet for a moment. "Perhaps," he finally said, "this was what you saw, or rather, what you didn't see. It is possible that in one potential future you did kill him, but in this one, you did not. Has there ever been a time when what you saw in the future didn't come to pass?"</p><p>"I don't know," I replied slowly. "I had so many customers come through every night, and most wanted to know about their futures. I rarely saw them again, so I have no idea if what I saw happened."</p><p>"What about the others in the circus? Did their futures ever change?" he pushed.</p><p>"Not that I know of. If it was short term, it always happened. But if it was far in the future, I have no way of knowing."</p><p>Charles smiled. "Then we will hope that Alex's future has changed. Thank you, Stella."</p><p>Before I could ask what he was thanking me for, students suddenly came flooding into the room, and before I knew it, Claire had snatched me and forced me into a chair, one that was between hers and Genni's. And Charles was introducing me to my classmates, then launching into a discussion on Thoreau.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry I'm a day late! I got caught up with family things most of the weekend, so updating took second place to vegging out. Small children are exhausting to deal with! Those of you mamas and daddies who deal with them all the time, as an auntie, I salute you. And I know why you're tired all the time! Anyway, thanks for reading, and a big thanks to brigid1318 and Rhapsodiitygersrayven for your lovely reviews!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Geometry with Sean came after Lit, and it was highly entertaining to see him attempt to be a responsible adult. He would succeed for a few minutes at a time, but then be derailed by something amusing. But he was actually a good teacher, helping me to understand something that books alone never had. "This all came from practical application," he told me with a shrug, walking me to the dining room (since I still couldn't remember where it was). "I had to learn angles to be able to fly."</p><p>That sentence made absolutely no sense to me. Sean laughed at my dumfounded expression. "I can scream, at ultrasonic frequencies. Hank made me a groovy suit, that basically makes me look like a giant flying squirrel, and with my screams, I'm able to fly. I had to learn pretty quickly about angles so I could move how I wanted to."</p><p>That made sense, but brought a new question to mind. "So, everyone here has powers, right?" At his nod, I continued. "So are there any people with the same powers as someone else?"</p><p>Sean thought for a moment. "Well, Emma Frost, nasty bi- piece of work, by the way, is a telepath, like Charles, but she doesn't have telekinesis. She can turn into a living diamond, though. And Conner is telekinetic, but not telepathic. But I don't think anybody would have exactly the same mutation as someone else."</p><p>"Unless perhaps they were identical twins," Hank said, suddenly appearing at Sean's elbow. "We've never come across anyone with identical mutations, but that's not to say that it's not possible, though unlikely without the presence of identical eggs. But I feel that family members will often have similar mutations. Take Claire for example."</p><p>"Take me where, Hank?" It wasn't until I heard Claire's voice that I realized that we'd made it to the dining room. "You know all you have to do is ask," she added flirtatiously, and Hank gulped adorably.</p><p>"Um, ah, I was, ah, I was just using you as an example for Stella," he stutteringly explained. "About how siblings can have similar mutations."</p><p>"Ah, yes, my lovely twin," she said sarcastically, then turned to me. "I have a twin brother, Conner, who is a telekinetic, so because our powers are both related to the mind, Hank thinks that mutations might be a family trait."</p><p>"Well, and with ferals. Anytime we've found one with siblings, all the children have been ferals, as well. But sadly, this is all conjecture, since we simply don't have the data to form reliable theories," Hank continued, much more normally now that he was talking about science.</p><p>But Claire derailed that again with ease. "We could always make some new little mutants to see. I think with your mind and my looks, they'd be unstoppable," she said with a wink.</p><p>Hank blushed so hard I feared for his heart. "Um, I, um, I, uh, I think-" he babbled, then bolted off in the direction of his lab.</p><p>Sean laughed hard. "You are so mean to tease him like that," he told Claire between gasps.</p><p>"Who was teasing?" she replied, then took my arm and led me to the line for food where Genni was waiting for us.</p><p>I met several more people as we ate, though I was careful to avoid touching them. I'd had quite enough of seeing others lives the day before, and I really didn't need more random facts about people I hardly knew swimming in my mind.</p><p>I'd just smiled at Joey's big sister when I saw him. He walked into the dining room looking like the personification of some Greek god, Apollo or Adonis or Achilles. Platinum blond hair, perfectly styled, topped high, sharp cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. He was tall, easily six feet, and he moved with a perfect grace that would make ballerinas weep with envy.</p><p>"Who ya lookin' at, Stell? Ya look a bit dreamy there, hon," Genni teased, breaking my reverie.</p><p>"Who is that?" I asked, discreetly pointing out the god.</p><p>Genni and Claire both looked to where I was pointing, and both faces immediately shuttered. "My brother," Claire said, at the same time Genni replied, "Veronica's boyfriend."</p><p>"So I should stay away from him," was my guess.</p><p>"If ya like yar head where it is," Genni growled, then immediately blanched. "Sorry, Ah didn't mean that."</p><p>Claire smiled, but I could see the sympathy that tinged it. "Genni's had a bit of a crush on my idiot twin for a while, so her territorial tendencies come out to play where he's concerned. Sadly, he's been dating Veronica for longer than Gen's been here. You really could do better, believe me," she told her. "He really is an utter bozo."</p><p>"But a very pretty bozo," Genni sighed, disgruntled.</p><p>"Pretty boys are rarely smart," I told her, quoting my Tia Rosana. "Or nice."</p><p>"See? Stella gets it!" Claire crowed. "Now why can't you?"</p><p>"Because Ah'm a feral, an' we fall hard an' fast." Another sigh punctuated Genni's statement.</p><p>"Then why can't Hank fall for me?" I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to hear Claire's mumbled complaint.</p><p>Genni's growl distracted us, making both Claire and me look up in time to see Veronica draping herself over Conner. "Why don't we go outside?" Claire suggested. "It's a gorgeous day, and we might as well enjoy it while we can."</p><p>The three of us picked up our things and headed out to the lawn in front of the school. "This is a gorgeous day?" I squeaked, as a breezy gust blew past us.</p><p>At least my discomfort got Genni to laugh. "We need to go shopping this weekend and get you some warmer clothes," Claire said, also laughing.</p><p>"Um," was my intelligent reply. There was no way I was going to tell these girls I'd just met, no matter how friendly, that I had absolutely no money and was only here based on Charles's charity. So clothes shopping was most definitely out, though I wasn't sure just how to get out of it.</p><p>"Daddy set up accounts for me at all the local shops," Claire continued, seemingly oblivious to my internal struggle. "And he gets upset if I don't take advantage of them often. This way, I get to pamper my friends, and Daddy is happy that I'm using his accounts. Everyone wins."</p><p>"Ya might as well give in, hon. Claire always gets her way in thangs like this," Genni advised with a grin.</p><p>"Yes, I do. We're going shopping this weekend. We can't have you freezing to death in sixty degree weather," Claire told me, smirking.</p><p>"I've lived in Florida my entire life. This is colder than I've ever been." I might have been exaggerating a bit, but I was rather cold. In the sunshine. At noon.</p><p>"Ah know what ya mean," Genni consoled. "Ah came from Georgia, in January, an' Ah could have sworn Hank took a wrong turn somewhere an' ended up in Antarctica. Ah thought Ah was gonna see some penguins soon."</p><p>"Oh, you girls are ridiculous. It's not that cold," Claire disagreed, though I could see the smile she was trying to hide.</p><p>"That's because ya were born in New York City and have lived in subarctic temperatures yar whole life," Genni countered. "Not to mention you have not one, but two fur coats."</p><p>"What can I say? Daddy loves me," was Claire's breezy answer.</p><p>The bell rang shortly after that, cutting of their playful squabbles and letting us all know we needed to head inside. For the rest of the day, I had Claire in most of my classes, and Genni in one other. Charles must have sensed that I would feel more comfortable with someone that I knew, at least slightly.</p><p>All afternoon I'd managed to push aside the danger surrounding Alex, but a part of me had been tensed, ready to hear anxious shouting or frightened screams. So when I saw him at dinner, laughing with Sean, I let out a sigh I hadn't realized I'd been holding all day. But he still has a few more hours to go, I reminded my subconscious, mentally steeling myself in preparation.</p><p>"Are ya alrigh', hon?" Genni asked me, once again startling me from my musings.</p><p>"Que- What? Si, I'm alright," I replied distractedly.</p><p>I was aware of both girls giving me strange looks all throughout dinner, but I couldn't help but practically stare at Alex for the whole meal, looking for anything dangerous. Once we were all done eating, though, Claire had apparently had enough. "We need to talk," she declared, yanking me from my seat and practically dragging me toward our room, leaving Genni to scurry behind.</p><p>Looking at her, I never expected Claire to be so strong physically, but she was hauling me along at an alarming rate with those long legs. I was barely able to keep my feet under me. Finally, we made it to our room and privacy, where Genni and I were able to catch our breath.</p><p>The door was barely shut behind us before Claire demanded, "What is going on with you and Alex?"</p><p>I was too stunned to reply. I hadn't thought I was that transparent, but maybe I'd been staring a bit too much.</p><p>"You were staring at him the whole time we were in the dining room," she continued, confirming my suspicions. "And while he is a hunk, you weren't looking at him like that. You were looking at him like… almost like you were afraid of him."</p><p>"Alex migh' be a bit of a loudmouth, but he won't hurt ya, hon," Genni soothed.</p><p>"No, I'm not afraid of him," I quickly assured.</p><p>"Then what's wrong? Does this have to do with what happened last night?" Claire asked, looking irritated, and more than a little worried. For me. Genni was wearing a similar look.</p><p>There it was again. People were worried for me, not because of me. It wasn't something I was used to, at least not for several years. Not since Mama and Tia Rosana died. And that was what pushed me to trust them.</p><p>"I showed you my power last night, but that's not the only power I have," I confessed. They both looked incredibly interested, so I pushed on. "I can see anyone's past or future if I touch them."</p><p>"So that's why you don't like touching people!" Claire proclaimed. "I thought it might just have been something from the circus."</p><p>I laughed. "No, but being in the circus actually made it a bit worse, with people always being around and brushing against me. But you're right. I don't like touching people unaware because I can't control what I see. If I know it's coming, then I can look for specific things, but the future stuff rarely makes sense anyway."</p><p>"So what did ya see when ya touched Alex last nigh'?" Genni asked quietly.</p><p>I took a deep breath, then let it out. Then I took another. "I didn't see anything," I finally told them, not looking at either girl. Instead, I stared at my feet, finding intricate patterns in the carpet that weren't really there.</p><p>"What does nothing mean?" Claire asked cautiously.</p><p>It was a long time before I answered. "It means he's going to die, soon."</p><p>"No wonder ya were so upset!" Genni cried, flinging her arms around me and knocking me over to sit on my bed. "Ya poor thang!"</p><p>Her support surprised me. Most people would have been horrified to find out I knew when someone would die. But Genni was one of the most empathetic people I'd ever met, so it really shouldn't have been such a surprise.</p><p>"So, you can see someone's future, or past," Claire said slowly, coming to sit next to me, though cautious to not touch me. "Just by touching them."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"And if you're caught unaware, you have no control over it at all."</p><p>"None whatsoever."</p><p>"That's awful!" she declared, putting her arm around me as well, careful to only touch my blouse. "We'll figure something out, don't worry. Charlie is really good at this sort of thing. I mean, he's helped me to not give the entire mansion nightmares, so he really is a miracle worker."</p><p>"You could give everyone nightmares?" I was a bit worried now myself, thinking that I really should stay on her good side, when she replied.</p><p>"Yeah, when I was just getting my powers, I managed to influence dreams while I slept. If I had good dreams, everyone got good dreams. If I had nightmares, so did everyone else. We lost a few maids that way," Claire mused. "But that was four years ago. I've had them under control for ages now."</p><p>We talked for hours, sharing about our powers and the problems we'd had with them, including the past deaths I'd seen, after I'd sworn them to secrecy about my other power. Eventually, we moved back to controlling my power. "Do you think people would notice if I started wearing gloves?" I asked them.</p><p>"Probably, since you weren't wearing them today," Claire said practically. "But don't worry; we'll figure this thing out."</p><p>"And if there's one thang here that ev'ryone understands is dealin' with powers. If ya just tell people yar power deals with touch, nobody's gonna think anythin' about it," Genni assured.</p><p>I had to ask the question burning in the back of my mind. "Do you think Alex is okay?"</p><p>Once again, Claire was the voice of practicality. "I think we would have heard something by now if anything as bad as one of the teachers suddenly dying happened."</p><p>"But if ya're worried about it, just ask the Professor," Genni suggested.</p><p>"Bueno, right, I'll go talk to him," I said, standing up.</p><p>"Or you could just ask Charlie here. Just address him in your head and he'll hear you," Claire told me, smirking a bit.</p><p>"Right," I said, still not used to talking to someone else in my head. Silently, I called out, "Charles?"</p><p>Immediately, he answered. "Hello, Stella. I'm going to assume that you are inquiring after Alex." I got the feeling that he was smiling.</p><p>"Yes, I was. Is he alright?"</p><p>"He is, my dear. Still rather annoyed with me that I keep checking in with him, but fine otherwise. Perhaps something happened between last night and this moment that changed his future. Whatever it was, I'm quite glad it didn't happen."</p><p>"Me, too, but what if it takes more than twenty-four hours? It's always been less than that, but maybe that was just because of when I touched them."</p><p>"Unfortunately, my dear, we will all die, and I'm not sure there is any way to accurately predict that, even with your incredible gift. We will simply have to live our lives as if the world will continue on, for all of us. It will not do to constantly worry about what we cannot control. Try to sleep, and we will talk more tomorrow during our session, alright?"</p><p>"Alright. Sorry to bother you."</p><p>"You are never a bother, Stella. Have a good night."</p><p>I realized that Claire and Genni had been staring at me the entire time I'd been conversing with Charles. "Well?" Claire asked, incredibly impatient. "Is Alex okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, he is, so far," I answered, still a bit disturbed by the whole affair. Even though Charles had told me not to worry, that was simply not possible.</p><p>"Well, that's good, right?" Genni said, beaming. But then she noticed my face. "It is good, right, Stella?"</p><p>"Of course! It's fantastic! I just can't help but wonder what it means then."</p><p>"Well, Alex is still alive, which is a good thing, so we are going to go to sleep and not worry about it any more tonight," Claire ordered. "Everything will look better in the morning."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And I'm early again! I didn't think anyone would mind if I posted a little early this week, to help make up for the late one last week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I settled into life at the mansion far more quickly than I could have anticipated. My roommates were fantastic, not to mention hysterical, and for the most part, the other students accepted me, as well. My classes were going well, and my trainings with Charles and Alex were progressing at a remarkable rate. I was gaining control over both powers, to the point of being able to pinpoint specific memories, as well as using my energy power often, without fear of stealing energy from anyone around me accidentally. Alex had even started teaching me how to use it offensively. And of course, after Claire found out that I would be able to "tune it out" if I got used to her touch, she immediately decided that bombarding me unawares at any and all times of day was the best way to do it. It only took a few weeks for me to not "see" anything when she touched me, and Genni followed suit quickly afterwards. I finally felt, for the first time in three years, that I had a home.</p><p>The only thing that bothered me in the slightest was that nagging nothing I saw whenever I touched Alex, which happened frequently enough during our training. And Charles still had no explanation for it. "Everyone's mutation is different, Stella, just as every person is. I'm not even sure if identical twins would have the exact same powers, and even if they did, they might access them or use them differently, due to personality differences. So I'm not sure why you can't see Alex. Perhaps it's because of the similarities between your other power and his. Unfortunately, there is simply no way to tell at this point," he explained one day during our session.</p><p>Because of my lack of foresight, I couldn't help but be afraid every time I thought about it. And while Alex was usually quite nice and friendly, I kept my distance. I'd been around death enough in my life already, and I really didn't want to set myself up for any heartbreak I could avoid.</p><p>One Saturday in mid-November started out just like every other Saturday had since I'd arrived at the school. Sean and Alex tried to outdo each other with breakfast foods, and we all called out encouragements and dares to do better. Claire took me and Genni shopping, again, then we spent the rest of the afternoon doing homework in our dorm room while gossiping and listening to music. But once we had eaten dinner, Charles asked the three of us to his office. "Do ya think he knows we were the ones to dye Hank's fish pink?" Genni asked anxiously.</p><p>"He's a telepath. It's a very good probability that he knew about it while we were doing it," I told her, finally feeling comfortable enough around them to let my sarcasm out.</p><p>"Oh, yeah," she replied sheepishly.</p><p>I looked to Claire, who was suspiciously quiet. Normally, she would have joined in teasing our younger friend, but not this time. She simply had a rather annoying knowing smile on her face, and no matter how much we pestered her, she refused to explain. "You'll see soon enough," was all she would tell us. With a smug smirk plastered to her face.</p><p>Once we got to Charles's office, we found not only Charles, but Sean, Hank, and Alex, as well. "Hello, girls," Charles welcomed, smiling warmly. "I'm sure you are wondering what I wanted to discuss with you, especially with so many others here, as well."</p><p>"Yes," Genni and I said in unison, though hers held that tone of awe it always had when speaking to Charles.</p><p>He simply smiled, eyes twinkling in that way that always made me feel like he knew everything there was to know about everything. "Well, you have both expressed interest in furthering the cause of mutanthood, and especially easing mutant/human relations, and you've also shown incredible growth in your training with your powers. Stella, you especially have improved vastly since your arrival here to the school less than two months ago."</p><p>"Thank you, Charles," I said slowly, still not sure where this was going.</p><p>He nodded in acknowledgement, then grew more serious. "Unfortunately, the group known as the Brotherhood of Mutants is growing more bold in their actions to try and prove mutant superiority. As we are the best equipped to handle the struggle with them, it is our responsibility to try to stop them. And since you two have progressed so well in your training, we felt it was time to ask you to join us in our fight."</p><p>Silence filled the room. Everyone was staring at us, waiting for our reactions, while Genni and I attempted to completely understand what he was saying. Surprisingly, Genni broke the silence first. "Ya wan' me, us ta join the X-Men?" she squeaked.</p><p>Smiles broke out across most of the faces in the room. Her adorable reaction managed to break the tension for us. "Yes, that's what Charles was trying to say," Alex answered wryly. "He just went about it the long way."</p><p>"The really long way," Sean laughingly added.</p><p>I knew about the X-Men, of course, especially since Claire was one of them and went out on missions occasionally. They were the best of the best, the ones who tried to stop the Brotherhood whenever they could. But I'd never dreamed that they would possibly want me to join. "Both of us?" was out of my mouth before I could stop it.</p><p>"Of course, Stella. You would be an immeasurable addition to the team," Charles assured me warmly.</p><p>"You can light em' up like no other," Alex joined in. "We can always use some more firepower out in the field."</p><p>"So, what do you say?" Sean asked, looking impatient for our answers, nearly bouncing where he stood.</p><p>Genni answered immediately, "Yes!" with my "Si, thank you!" right behind.</p><p>Claire attacked us with hugs, while Sean and Alex whooped. Hank smiled, saying, "Welcome to the team. I'll get started on your uniforms right away," before slipping out of the office.</p><p>Charles let the celebration go on a bit longer, before speaking up. "I do want to let you know that at any time, if you wish to no longer participate in the team, you are free to leave at any time. There would be no hard feelings, and it would certainly not affect your standing at the school."</p><p>That put a stop to any joyful feelings immediately. "Way to bring us all down, Chuck," Sean said, teasing his friend lightly.</p><p>"It had to be said," was Charles's defense. "Also, anytime you are out in the field, Alex is the captain. He's the one to be listened to; he makes all the assignments. Is that going to be a problem for either of you?" He looked at me in particular as he asked that question. Genni and I shook our heads quickly, and he smiled again. "Well, then, I would simply like to say welcome to the team, and good luck. Anything further about the team will come from Alex."</p><p>"We've got a team meeting tomorrow night, and you'll need to join the team trainings Tuesday and Thursday nights. See you tomorrow," Alex grinned at us.</p><p>As we went back to our dorm room, Claire filled us in on our new team. "And the uniforms actually aren't as bad as they sound," she assured. "Hank's made them perfectly for each of us, with each person's mutation in mind. And they're really protective. The last time we went out, I got in a tangle with Grizz, who has about three-inch long claws, and he raked them all along my arm, and they barely went through the sleeve of my uniform."</p><p>"The scratches you had last week?" I asked, rather concerned. Her "scratches" had been a set of four, five inches long, and rather deep. Thankfully, Claire seemed to have a bit of a healing power, and they healed quickly, barely even scarring. But if this was the type of people I would be fighting, now that I was a member of the team, I was a bit worried. I definitely didn't heal faster than normal.</p><p>Claire interpreted my comment correctly, but brushed my worry aside. "Grizz is really the worst, but you could always light him on fire. You are far more powerful than he is, I promise."</p><p>…</p><p>The wait for the team meeting the next night was brutal. Both Genni and I found ourselves looking at the clock far more often than usual. But it finally came time for us to go, and Claire led us to the War Room in the basement. Everyone was pretty excited to welcome us, except for Veronica and her best friend, Marianne, but we just ignored them, as per usual.</p><p>For the most part, the meeting seemed to be about welcoming us to the team, until the very end. "We think the Brotherhood is planning on some kind of attack on a military target, a base or post, though we aren't sure which one yet, or even when," Charles informed us.</p><p>"Which just means we need to be on our toes," Alex added, with that air of authority that he only ever had during our training sessions. "Make sure uniforms are ready to go, any repairs if necessary done now. Beast, how are the new uniforms coming?"</p><p>"Genni's is done except for the final fitting, and Stella's should be done tomorrow, ready for the fitting," Hank reported.</p><p>"Good. Genni, once we're done here, I want you to go with Beast to try it on, make sure you have a full range of motion. And Beast will tell you when you can try yours on, Stella." Alex was really getting into the leader mode, which I realized he did rather well.</p><p>"What about code names?" Sean piped up. "We need to come up with code names for our new members."</p><p>"Genni should be 'Kitten'," Claire said with a smirk, ignoring the glare she was being sent. "Since she's so tiny."</p><p>"Ah hate ya a little bit right now," was Genni's response.</p><p>"I think 'Panther' would suit you," Charles mused.</p><p>"With your dark hair and green eyes, you would make a good Panther," I agreed, remembering the ones I'd seen in the circus.</p><p>"And Stella should be 'Star'," Sean added, grinning comically, "since she lights up my world."</p><p>"That's what her name means," Alex said, shoving his friend a bit.</p><p>"What?" came out of several mouths, including my own.</p><p>"Estrella means star in Spanish , doesn't it?" he asked me, looking a bit confused.</p><p>"Yeah, but how did a pretty boy Yanqui like you know that?" I blurted, then blushed when it hit me how rude I'd sounded.</p><p>"I took Spanish in school," he replied.</p><p>"Well, Star it is," Sean proclaimed. "So, when we're out on a mission, we call each other by our code names. It makes things simpler, or something. I'm Banshee, for obvious reasons, Alex is Havok, again, obvious."</p><p>"I'm Beast," Hank told us, continuing around the table.</p><p>Claire, at his right, sighed. "Gemini, since these bozos couldn't come up with something better."</p><p>"Castor, for the same reason," Connor said.</p><p>"Hypna," was Veronica's bored response.</p><p>"Bloody Mary," Marianne grinned.</p><p>Viper, Mad Dog, and Tank were our other three classmates, and Sprite and Sphinx were the other teachers. After a few more words of wisdom from our fearless leaders (Claire's words, not mine), we were all dismissed. "So, are you guys excited to be official team members?" Sean asked immediately after, throwing his arms around Genni and me.</p><p>"Absolutely!" Genni uncharacteristically gushed. "It's been one a my biggest dreams since Ah got here."</p><p>"Me, too. Excited, and more than a little nervous," I replied.</p><p>"Don't worry," Alex assured, suddenly standing behind us and startling me. "We always send new members on easy missions for a while to get you used to it before anything big."</p><p>"Unless we need all hands on deck," Sean continued. "Like Gemini over here. Her second mission was-"</p><p>Alex cut in. "I don't think they need to hear about that. Just know that whenever we go out on missions, we always keep a good eye on our new members. Everyone will be looking out for you. And you'll be paired with one of the more experienced team members. We're not going to leave you on your own."</p><p>"Genni, are you ready to try on your uniform?" Hank asked, coming back into the War Room.</p><p>"Oh, yeah! Ah'm so sorry! Ah forgot Ah was supposed ta try it on now," she answered, blushing furiously.</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Hank told her with a smile. "Your first team meeting is pretty exciting. It's completely understandable."</p><p>Claire and I tagged along for critiquing (again, Claire's words), as did Sean and Alex, since they apparently didn't have anything better to do. As we walked, the boys joked around, teasing Hank about his seamstress skills and anything else they could come up with. Hank took it all in good humor, even returning the favor every now and then.</p><p>Once in Hank's lab, Genni tried on her uniform while Hank showed me my unfinished one. "Once you've got your uniform, you should start wearing it to our training sessions, Stella," Alex told me.</p><p>"That's a good idea!" Claire agreed. "The more you wear it, the more comfortable it gets. And that way you can get used to fighting in it before wearing it on a mission."</p><p>"It's never a good idea to wear a new uniform on a mission, huh, Hank?" Sean added, grinning.</p><p>"That was one time," Hank mumbled, looking a bit pink.</p><p>"Yeah, one time when we were stopping World War III," was Alex's contribution.</p><p>"We still stopped it," Hank defended.</p><p>"No thanks to the ripped wing on my suit," Sean prodded.</p><p>"Hey, be nice to Hank!" Claire stepped in. "He does a good job on all of our uniforms, and they've never failed us since then."</p><p>"Ah, Hank knows we're just giving him a hard time. You know we love you, right, Hank?" Sean asked in a ridiculously high pitched voice, throwing his arms around Hank's neck and comically trying to kiss his face, which was half a foot above his own.</p><p>The next five minutes were spent laughing as Sean and Alex chased Hank around his lab, trying to land a kiss on his face. It ended only once Claire managed to catch him off guard and kissed him herself. Hank promptly turned as red as Sean's hair and started stuttering, before suddenly turning around and all but fleeing the room.</p><p>At seeing the slightly devastated look on Claire's face, both Alex and Sean quickly remembered things they needed to do, like sorting socks and fixing a motorcycle. Genni and I shared a look, then took an arm each, leading Claire to the kitchen. "Times like this call for ice cream," I declared, but even that didn't cheer her up.</p><p>It wasn't until we'd shared an even bigger sundae than the one the night I'd arrived and we'd thoroughly trashed men in general that Claire finally had a smile on her face. And her determination to win Hank over came back with it. "Don't worry, girls. He can't resist me forever. And I am very persistent."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here is the next chapter, and Stella is an X-Men! Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>True to his word, Hank had my uniform done the next night, so I got to try it on after dinner. Claire wanted to come with, to make sure it looked good ostensibly, but really to flirt with Hank some more. So Genni tagged along, as well, and the three of us spent the evening teasing Hank in the one place where he couldn't really run away: his lab. He gave his fair share of the jibes, as long as he was speaking with me or Genni, but the moment Claire even glanced in his direction, the blushes came out, as did the stuttering. Anyone with eyes could see that he actually liked Claire, but was simply too shy to do anything about it. That is, anyone except for Claire.</p><p>Tuesday night was my very first team practice. It was also my first time actually practicing in my uniform. "Well, don't you two look gorgeous!" Claire proclaimed, coming out of the bathroom to see Genni and me in our uniforms.</p><p>I felt incredibly self-conscious, since the skintight outfit was a far cry from my usual blousy tops and filmy skirts. And Genni looked about as comfortable as I felt. Claire was the only one of us at ease. Then again, it wasn't all that different from her normal choice of clothes, except for the color. "Let's go, girls," she said cheerfully, dragging us to the door. "Our teammates are waiting."</p><p>Claire led the way down to the basement of the mansion, where a huge gymnasium had been arranged. From the looks of it, it was almost the size of the whole foundation of the mansion, filled with what seemed to be an obstacle course. A very intense obstacle course. The team looked a bit different than their usual, being in the uniforms, but no one more so than Hank. "You look muy hermoso in blue, my friend," I teased him, which brought out the blushes again. Of course, with his mutation out for everyone to see, his face turned almost purple, and he glared at me. "What? It's true," I defended, grinning.</p><p>"Yes, it is," Claire agreed, giving him the same kind of appreciative looks she did as when he was using his serum. He blushed more and went to hide behind Sean and Alex.</p><p>I couldn't interpret the look Alex was giving me, but once Sean had lightly bumped him with his elbow, he snapped out of it, pulling out two flags from behind his back. "Well, since we have two new teammates to welcome, I figured we could take it a bit easier today and just work on our team work. Let's play Capture the Flag."</p><p>Alex and Sean, the team leaders, quickly split us into two teams, as evenly as possible in regards to experience and strength, and then we were off. Being the two newest members meant that Genni and I were on different teams, and I felt a flicker of disappointment at not having at least Claire on my team. But I shrugged it off quickly, consoling myself that at least I had Hank to make up for it.</p><p>"Alright, team," Alex began, once we'd congregated behind what seemed to be a giant one-way mirror. "We've got to figure out where to hide the flag."</p><p>"We need to find some really obscure place to hide it," Veronica said imperiously.</p><p>"But then we would have to have someone nearby to guard it, and that would sort of defeat the purpose." I surprised myself, and most everyone else, by disagreeing with her.</p><p>But Alex gave me an approving glance. "I was thinking the same thing. If we put it in the middle of that nice big open space in the back, and have two people be the guards, then we'll be able to see anyone coming. Any volunteers for guard duty?" Viper volunteered, then he continued. "Perfect. Hypna, I want you to be the policing force, more in the middle, but backing Viper as needed. Sprite, we need aerial reconnaissance. Let us know where their flag is and who's guarding it. Tank and Beast, you'll be the distraction. You'll go in and hit them hard, letting Star and me slip in unnoticed, hopefully. Everyone understood?" We all nodded, some (Veronica) grudgingly. "Good. Remember, powers are allowed, but try not to actually harm anyone. Viper, go place the flag and guard it. You ready over there?" He yelled the last part over to the other team.</p><p>A piercing cry answered back, and as the rest of us winced slightly, Alex grinned. "Let the games begin," he shouted.</p><p>Hank and Thomas, also known as Beast and Tank, took off sprinting towards the other side. Sprite, or Miss Rachel, our tiny English teacher, launched herself into the air. Alex (Havok, I reminded myself) and I slipped to the side, keeping an eye on Sprite's location. Another shrill screech alerted us to Banshee's position, luckily for us, directly above Beast and Tank. An additional three, Mad Dog, Castor, and Bloody Mary, were converging on our teammates. "Should we help them?" I asked anxiously.</p><p>Havok shook his head. "No, they're distracting them for us. Sprite will give us any info on the last three members, but the rest is up to us. Let's go."</p><p>We slipped out from our hiding place, then went forward as best we could, making sure to keep some sort of cover between us and our fighting teammates. I had to admit that Hank in Beast form was mildly terrifying. "Remind me not to piss him off," I muttered.</p><p>Havok laughed shortly. "Never a good idea," he agreed.</p><p>Just then, Sprite dive bombed a specific area, about the middle of enemy territory, then just as quickly flew up again. She was doing something with her hands, though I couldn't really tell what it was. But Havok grinned. "It's sign language," he told me, seeing my confusion. "P for Panther, and G for Gemini. Ready to go up against your roommates?"</p><p>"Yeah," I said softly, mentally preparing to attack my best friends. It was not going to be pretty, I could already tell.</p><p>As Sprite was distracting Banshee, and Beast and Tank were still occupying the other three teammates we could see, Havok got ready to move. I was prepared to follow him, until a thought stopped me. "What about Sphinx?" I hissed. "Where's he?"</p><p>He halted, looking around for the large lion the last remaining teammate could turn into. "I can't believe I forgot about him! Good call," he told me, still peering around our cover. "But we can't wait. If Sprite didn't tell us where he was, he can't be anywhere near. We've got to go now. C'mon."</p><p>Havok moved out, and I was right on his tail. As we moved from cover to cover, I couldn't help but admire the smooth way he slipped around obstacles, quickly but never hastily. I grudgingly realized that I could learn quite a bit from him.</p><p>Soon enough, we were approaching the area that Sprite had marked for us. It seemed that the other team had the same idea I'd had; we could see their flag clearly, in a big, open area. And standing nearby, on either side of it, were my two roommates. "I'll try to distract both of them, and you grab the flag, okay?" Havok instructed. I nodded, then he grinned and took off, firing off charges to distract the girls.</p><p>I concentrated, feeling the familiar buzz of potential energy all around me. Pulling at it, I made several balls of light explode around my roommates, from the opposite direction I would be coming from. That, combined with Havok's energy blasts, served to distract them from my true location. I ran to the flag, keeping an eye on both girls, making energy explode in every direction to keep them away. The flag was just five feet in front of me when I suddenly heard, "There you are, Star," in Claire's familiar voice. A wave of confusion crashed over me, and I stumbled, trying to remember what I was doing.</p><p>"Get the flag!" Havok yelled, dodging Genni. "The flag, Stella!"</p><p>That brought me out of it. Firing at Claire, well, as near as I could without possibly hurting her, I ran the few feet to the flag. Grabbing it and turning, I found Claire directly in the path that would take me back to my side of the room. "Hey, Stell," she said, grinning evilly. "Whatcha gonna do now?"</p><p>And before I could even think of a reply, rage filled me. "Stella, the flag! Take the flag to our side!" Alex again yelled.</p><p>"Shut up!" I screamed, lobbing a ball of energy at him. Unfortunately, it didn't do any good. "Quit telling me what to do! Stop trying to hurt my friends!"</p><p>Alex was dodging Genni, and I kept sending energy at him. It wasn't until I heard Claire laugh that realization broke through, and I was suddenly clear-headed again. Keeping my back to her, I gathered more energy, then, spinning around, I threw it all in her direction. She suddenly found herself surrounded by glowing, pulsing, burning balls of energy. "Sorry, Claire!" I shouted, picking up the flag that I'd dropped in my anger. As soon as it was in my hands, I took off for my side. "It won't hurt you if you don't touch it!" I assured her as I ran past.</p><p>I saw Havok tackle Genni out of the corner of my eye, and with Claire pinned by my power, I was safe to run. Hoping that the main fighting between the heavy hitters was still in relatively the same area, I kept to the side that Havok and I had come in at, still trying to be cautious. I could see the middle marker soon enough, and I was home free. We would win!</p><p>Or so I thought. Banshee's triumphant scream brought me to a halt ten feet from the line. "We won!" he yelled. "Ha! We beat you, Alex!"</p><p>Soon enough, both teams gathered on the middle line, and I could see Sphinx, or James, since he'd changed back into his normal, human appearance, holding our flag and being cheered on by his teammates. Meanwhile, most of my teammates were glaring at Veronica. "What happened?" Alex asked the question on my mind.</p><p>"Hypna here decided to abandon her post and go after the flag herself, which meant that not only was she caught by Mad Dog, but she left me to be blindsided by Sphinx," Viper, a.k.a. Lucy, snapped, glaring at our teammate.</p><p>"I saw an opening, and I took it," Veronica snapped back.</p><p>"Obviously, it wasn't an opening," Alex said, authority filling his every word. "Hypna, you've got to learn to follow orders. When you do your own thing, you leave your teammates open, exposed. If this had been a mission, Viper could have been killed. Now, either you follow orders, or you're grounded, no more missions. Understood?"</p><p>Contempt and anger flooded her face, twisting her pretty features. "Understood, Captain," she spat, then turned to leave the room.</p><p>Alex sighed and shook his head. "Well, everyone else, good game. Hank and Thomas, great job keeping the others occupied. Connor, Marianne, and Daniel, you did good, working together the way you did. Rachel, you're definitely getting better at making your signs clearer. Claire, you did good throwing Stella off with the emotions, just need to work on duration and not getting distracted. Genni, you need to work on your strength. I know you didn't want to hurt me, but you're a feral. I shouldn't have been able to knock you down, much less keep you down. Stella, brilliant tactics, and you followed orders perfectly. Sean, anything you want to add?" he asked his second.</p><p>Sean grinned. "James, for such a big guy, you can be brilliantly sneaky. That was awesome! Lucy, way to man your station, especially once you saw a huge lion coming at you. Rachel, your aerial fighting has definitely improved. And Alex, you and Stella made a great pair throwing those energy charges around. We definitely need to work that into battle plans for the future."</p><p>"All in all, good practice, everybody," Alex told us. "Be ready for Thursday. We'll work on individual strengths then. Have a good night."</p><p>It wasn't until we were dismissed that I discovered how tired I was. "Adrenaline," was all Genni had to say, looking about as tired as I was. The three of us girls joined the others heading back up to the mansion.</p><p>"I think it's ice cream time," Claire proclaimed. "There's nothing like sugar to make you feel better."</p><p>"Yes, because that's exactly what you all need, more sugar," Marianne said, looking over the three of us snidely, lingering purposefully on my hips. "If you don't watch it, you are all going to get fat."</p><p>"I think we all worked off enough to make ice cream acceptable," Hank replied, sounding very scientific. "Is there any strawberry left?"</p><p>Claire's smugly delighted grin lit the hallway as she led us triumphantly to the kitchen. In addition to the three of us roommates and Hank, Sean and Alex joined us, as well. With Marianne's words still ringing in my head, I tried to beg off, but Claire wouldn't hear of it. "You are so fine," she hissed at me. "Don't you dare listen to Marianne. She's just jealous of your fabulous curves. Eat some ice cream." And she all but slammed a bowl down in front of me.</p><p>With that wonderful advice, I gave in. We spent the next hour or so laughing and talking, eating our ice cream, and just generally enjoying time to be teenagers. And slightly older than teenagers, in the guys' case. And it meant that Claire got to flirt with Hank more, or at him, in actuality. But it was progress, since he didn't run off this time. He still blushed furiously, looking a bit like a furry blueberry. It was adorable.</p><p>…</p><p>Thursday's practice took place in the weight room, and Alex set us all to working in pairs. Genni was paired with Hank, since he, as the only other feral in the group, wouldn't be hurt by her full strength. And Claire and I got to work together. "Stella, you did great the other night, encircling Claire with your energy balls. I want you to see how long you can keep that up, and I want you, Claire, to try and fight it with your empathy," Alex instructed us.</p><p>"Sounds like fun," Claire quipped. "Just make sure you don't singe my hair," she added in mock warning to me.</p><p>"I wouldn't dare," I teased back, then set to work. Concentrating on taking energy from all around me, but careful not to touch another person's, soon I had Claire surrounded again.</p><p>"I really don't like this," she huffed. In another moment, I felt confused, but I pushed back, making my energy flare, which made Claire yelp.</p><p>I caught sight of Veronica, and was instantly filled with the need to own her shoes. "I have to have her shoes," I whispered, then headed toward her, intent on getting those shoes at any cost.</p><p>"Where are you going, Stella?" Sean asked me, looking incredibly confused.</p><p>"I need her shoes," I replied, barely stopping to answer. But that pause was all I needed to get my head back to normal. By the time I'd turned back around, I flared the energy again, causing another yelp from Claire and the slight pressure on my mind to disappear.</p><p>"You really have good control," she huffed at me. "These things just won't go away."</p><p>"I've been training," I answered. "I don't want to hurt anyone with them." Ever again, I added silently.</p><p>Happiness then flowed through me, filling me up, pushing every bad memory to the darkest recesses of my mind. I'd never been so happy in my entire life. I felt as though I was so light, I could simply float away. Laughing, I twirled around, humming tunelessly. "This is so fun!" I cried. "Claire, come dance with me!"</p><p>"I can't, sweetie. You've got me stuck with your energy," she told me sadly.</p><p>"No! I'm so sorry!" I was devastated. How could I do that to my best friend? How could I make her so sad? Hurriedly, I released the energy, sending it all back to where I'd gotten it from, and Claire grabbed my hands, laughing.</p><p>"Thanks, hon! I couldn't have gotten out without your help," she crowed proudly.</p><p>Her words broke the control she'd had on my emotions, and embarrassment took over. "That was a bit mortifying," I mumbled, blushing a bit.</p><p>"Eh, only Sean saw it," she assured me, pointing out the guy who was nearly doubled over in laughter. "And maybe Alex."</p><p>Alex did, indeed, see it. He came over to us quickly, from where he'd been overseeing us all. "What happened, Stella? You just let her out?" His confusion was understandable, but my embarrassment didn't want to be explained.</p><p>Claire, however, didn't have that same compunction. "I made her so happy that she wanted me to dance with her," she explained with a grin. "But when I told her that I couldn't dance with her because of her energy ring, she got incredibly sad and let me go."</p><p>I groaned. "Madre de dios, I feel like an idiot."</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Alex comforted. "We've all done stupid things in training. And now that you know her trick, she probably won't be able to do it again on you."</p><p>At that, he had us practice until I was able to block her emotional meddling. When I was finally able to stop her assault on my feelings, Alex grinned. "Fantastic job, Stella." I blamed the flipping in my stomach on the emotional roller coaster I'd been on for the last hour. It definitely wasn't from Alex's grin. Definitely not.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes, I did steal Capture the Flag from Percy Jackson, but I figured it worked. And it was a lot of fun to write, especially with Stella figuring out how to use her powers and work around other people's. And Claire is a lot of fun, both with using her power and her fierce defense of her friend. Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to brigid1318 for your reviews. Even after reviewing every single chapter already on fanfiction.net! They make me happy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>We had no further word on the Brotherhood's plans. Instead, we celebrated Thanksgiving, where the team and I were mostly thankful for the break Alex gave us from training. He'd been pushing us all rather hard, trying to make sure we were ready for the other side when the inevitable fight did come.</p><p>And just like that, it was December, two weeks before Christmas. About a third of the school went home for the holidays, which thankfully included Veronica and Marianne. Connor went with Veronica, but Claire stayed. "Daddy and Mother are spending the holiday in Geneva," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. "And this way I get to join in on Charlie's traditions."</p><p>Said traditions included the lot of us trudging out to a tree farm to find just the perfect tree, decorating the mansion from top to bottom, and baking. Lots of baking. "Ah'm really glad Veronica's not here," Genni said, as we were rolling out more cookie dough for the little kids to decorate late one night. "She woulda turned her nose up at the thought a bakin'."</p><p>"Cooking is for servants, and poor people," Claire added, in a perfect imitation of the other girl. "You can't expect me to do this."</p><p>Our laughter was interrupted by Sean's "You girls look like ghosts."</p><p>The three of us looked around, not realizing the mess we'd made, or at least not the extent of it. Flour covered most surfaces, including our faces, and dirty dishes were stacked haphazardly around us. And there were trays and trays of cookies, some baked, some waiting for the ovens, on every available counter.</p><p>"How did you manage to get flour all over the kitchen?" Alex added, in horrified awe.</p><p>"We're just really talented," Claire snarked. "But you can't blame me. I've never baked before."</p><p>"Me either," I said. "After all, circuses aren't exactly well known for their baked goods."</p><p>"Actually, the flour was me," Genni confessed, blushing behind her white coating. "Ah accidentally dropped the bag, and we were all right next to each otha when it happened."</p><p>"It's a good look for you girls," Sean laughed, then yelped when Alex elbowed him. "What?"</p><p>"We are their teachers. You can't flirt with the students!"</p><p>Sean's eyebrow raised sarcastically, but Claire's laugh prevented him from saying anything. "Oh, Alex, it's the holidays! We're out of school, so there's no teachers, no students. And Stell and I are over eighteen already. Besides, he wasn't flirting." Her emphasis on the word seemed odd, as did Alex's suddenly shuttered face. "So, boys, are you here to help make cookies?"</p><p>"I do make a mean cookie," Sean replied, rolling up his sleeves with a smirk. " And I can make them without making a mess in the process."</p><p>We girls were relegated to dish duty while Alex and Sean took over the baking. "So, I've been wondering," I started slowly. "You both are really good at cooking, at least with the sweet stuff. How do you know how to do it all?"</p><p>Alex froze for a moment, before answering shortly. "My mom taught me. It was something we did together." The look on his face warned me not to ask anymore.</p><p>"I used to smoke weed," Sean told us suddenly. "Charles helped me get over it, of course, but back then, I would get serious munchies attacks, so I would bake. And it gave me something to do while my parents were arguing, which was all the time. And it's actually why I started smoking in the first place, trying to forget. I would wander all over Boston and smoke, and they didn't even seem to notice."</p><p>We girls were quiet, trying to picture the guy in front of us as a depressed stoner. "I used to shoplift," Claire confessed softly. "And yeah, I know, my family can afford whatever I stole, but it was a thrill, ya know? I didn't get caught often, and when I did, it just meant that I spent maybe five minutes with my parents actually paying attention to me, even if it was a disappointed scolding."</p><p>It was Genni's turn to confess next. "Mah daddy left when mah powers started manifestin'; he didn' wan' a freak for a daughter. Mama tried her hardest, but she couldn' support us just as a nurse, so she took shifts as a waitress, too. It wore her down, so when a nasty strain a the flu came through her ward, she couldn' fight it. Ah was ten, and mah landlord kicked me out the day Ah buried Mama. Ah was livin' on the streets when Charles an' Alex came an' found me."</p><p>I was in shock. I'd never considered that my friends had gone through such horrible times. "Ya know, I'm starting to think I had a pretty normal childhood, even for growing up in the circus," I said lightly, trying to bring back the lighthearted mood my question drove off. They all chuckled appreciatively. "I never knew my padre," I added slowly. "He left when Mama found out about me, then her parents kicked her out. My Tia Rosana went with her, and they went to Florida, where I was born, and they ended up in the circus. Mama did palm readings, Tia did acrobatics. It was great, for the first ten years or so. Old Man Larkin was muy carinoso, really nice, he even treated me like a granddaughter almost, but when he died and his son took over, the whole circus changed. Everyone wanted out, but he had blackmail on every person to keep them there. Everyone went from being friendly and open with each other to distrusting and hateful in the span of six months or so. It was awful, but we couldn't leave. Mama and Tia had somehow managed to save enough to get away without him knowing, but then… then they died, and I couldn't go anywhere. I was only fourteen."</p><p>"And you stayed in that awful place for four more years?" Claire sounded horrified.</p><p>"We weren't all born with a silver spoon in our mouths, C," Sean teased gently.</p><p>Alex sighed. "My dad- My father is Brigadier General Christopher Summers of the Air Force. He was never really around, always too busy promoting his career to spend time with his family. Mom was always there, the perfect housewife. Her teaching me to bake was the one thing she ever did to go against the General. He thought it was too girly. Anyway, after the… incident that landed me in prison, he covered up any and all references to me. According to him, the only son he has is my little brother, Scott."</p><p>Silence filled the room. Sean was the only one not in shock; obviously this wasn't the first time he'd heard this story. He simply patted his friend on the shoulder in a gesture of solidarity and took over rolling the cookies out, nudging Alex out of the way. Alex finally turned to face us girls, though his movements were terribly slow, wary almost.</p><p>Genni was at his side before he finished turning. "Ya're so much stronger than ya realize," she said softly, then attacked him with a hug.</p><p>"If you made it through all of that, then I suppose I can get through your training sessions," Claire sighed dramatically. Alex laughed shortly, before looking to me in worry.</p><p>"Hey, technically I'm still wanted by the police in Miami, so it's not like I've got any room to talk," I told him, forcing a smile. Inside, though, my heart was breaking for him. How could anyone treat their own child like that?</p><p>Alex cracked a small smile. "Well, it looks like we've all got Daddy issues."</p><p>"Thank heavens for Charles," Sean replied softly. "So we at least have some good male figure in our lives."</p><p>"One who actually cares about us, as more than just his legacy," Claire added, a bit wistful.</p><p>"But we are his legacy," I argued, verbalizing something that I hadn't consciously thought about before. "We are going to be the ones to show the world what we can do, what Charles has taught us, help us to become. We are the ones who will prove Charles right, that mutants and humans can coexist in peace. I have no doubt that he cares about us, of course, I've never met someone who cares more deeply, but we have to do this. He's never going to pressure us, but we have to do it for him. When we agreed to come here, whether we realized it or not, we accepted the responsibility to be the kind of people Charles knew we could be. He will care about us even if we fail to do that, but I would hate myself. Disappointing Charles would crush me."</p><p>I didn't mean to, but my words put a bit of a damper on conversation for the rest of the night. Everyone was rather thoughtful, going about their tasks mechanically. The last pans of cookies were taken from the ovens before anyone spoke again. "You're right, Stell," Claire pronounced. "You're right that we are Charles's legacy. And I, for one, am not about to let him down."</p><p>"None of us are," Alex agreed, giving me a look that, inexplicably, made me blush.</p><p>"Sorry, I didn't mean to preach-" I started but him cut me off.</p><p>"You didn't. And we could all use a reminder every now and then of what we're here for."</p><p>…</p><p>The next two weeks were filled with decorating the cookies with the little kids and delivering them to the local hospitals, orphanages, and nursing homes. Apparently, this was a traditional thing, since they all seemed to expect us. And everyone was so excited to see us, or at least the younger kids. Especially in the nursing homes. All the older people simply doted on Joey and his sister, Becky, and the other two little ones. Even Claire somehow had two ancianas wrapped around her fingers, getting them to blush and giggle like girls again.</p><p>It was during the last visit on December 23rd that Charles suddenly stiffened, then immediately told us all mentally to say our goodbyes. We quickly departed, much to the residents' dismay, then Alex drove us the twenty-five miles back to the mansion at a much faster speed than was really advisable. Everyone not on the team was hustled into the rec room with promises of hot cocoa and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", while the rest of us gathered in the library. It was much closer than the War Room, and we all knew something big was happening that needed a speedy response.</p><p>"I just received word that the Brotherhood of Mutants will be attacking tonight," Charles informed us. "At the West Point holiday show."</p><p>There was several impressive swears from Alex, Sean, and surprisingly, Hank, but Charles ignored them. "You need to go, now. There will be many civilians there, not to mention dignitaries. And then there's the cadets themselves. You must save them. You will save them."</p><p>I felt the weight of his words settle over me. He had absolute faith in us, and I was not about to disappoint him.</p><p>Alex was instantly in leader mode. "Get your uniforms now. We'll change on the Blackbird. Go now."</p><p>We all flew into action, running up the stairs and grabbing our uniforms. All ten of us were aboard the Blackbird within five minutes, Hank lifting off with a determined scowl looking rather out of place on his furry blue face.</p><p>Changing into skintight leather in tight quarters proved challenging, but we all tried to handle it with dignity. But when my eyes accidentally landed on Alex without a shirt on, I was a bit more grateful for the punishing training he insisted on, because he was a sight to behold.</p><p>"Don't let Fearless Leader see you so distracted," Claire teasingly whispered. Then she sobered. "And you can't afford to be distracted with these guys."</p><p>We'd all barely managed to change before we got to West Point. Hank set us down within walking distance to the hall where the concert was currently taking place. "When we get there, Cla-Gemini, I need you to persuade anyone in the way to let us in," Alex instructed on our hike.</p><p>"But that's Hypna's-" Claire started to protest, but Alex overrode her.</p><p>"I know Hypna usually does it. But you're the closest thing we've got since she's not here right now. We need you to do this. Can you do it?" Claire visibly pulled herself up, then nodded resolutely. "Good. Once we're in, you need to find our combatants, so we know how many and who we are fighting. Panther, you stay with Beast; he's your training buddy. Star, you're with me. At this point, our only plan is to keep the civilians safe and get the Brotherhood out of here. Everyone clear?"</p><p>We all nodded except for Beast, who pointed in front of us. "Havok, I think this just got a bit messier than we planned on."</p><p>Right in front of us was a huge limousine, guarded by four men in black suits. And proudly waving from its front were two red, white, and blue flags. "President Johnson is here," Sprite breathed.</p><p>Another inventive expletive slipped from Alex's lips. "This doesn't really change much. He's a civilian; we protect civilians. But Beast and Panther, I want you on protective detail. I know POTUS has his own security, but if Magneto's here, guns won't do them any good. Everyone clear?"</p><p>There was no time to really respond, since the Secret Service guys noticed us at that moment. One called out to us. "Hey, what are you-"</p><p>But a strong wave of calm floated over all of us, stopping the words in his mouth. I shook my head, knowing it was Claire. "Aim for them only," I hissed, sending panicked looks at our teammates who were just as passive as the guards.</p><p>An instant later, Havok told her, "We really need to work on your control," as he shook his head, clearing it just the way I had.</p><p>"No denying the power, though," Beast murmured.</p><p>"Let's go," she said brightly, beaming up at Hank. She then led the way to the doors, where two uniformed cadets stood guarding them. They were a bit distracted by the sight of her, however, since no one pulled off skintight clothes quite as well as our statuesque blonde. And then they were grinning like idiots as she worked her magic. "Door's free."</p><p>"Not really, Sugar," said the gleaming woman who then reached out and grabbed Claire's hair in her fist. "I just let you think that."</p><p>Beast snarled at her, but before anyone could do something more, the woman shrieked and dropped to the ground, releasing Claire and her diamond form at the same time. "How can you do this?" she screamed.</p><p>"Because I learn from my mistakes, bitch," Claire snarled back. "And emotions are stronger than thoughts."</p><p>We left her huddled on the floor, now only whimpering, and headed toward the auditorium. "Hopefully the music covered her screams," Havok muttered. Since no one came to check on her, it seemed that his hopes were correct. "Gemini, you're up again," he whispered at the door. "How many others are here?"</p><p>Claire's face screwed up in concentration, then fell in sorrow. "I can't," she panted. "There are too many people here. It's too overwhelming with all these emotions running rampant. I can't do it."</p><p>Havok nodded, but I wasn't about to let her give up. "You can do it," I assured her, taking her hand in mine in a tight squeeze. "You can comfort me in your sleep, so I think you can find the Brotherhood. Just focus on those feelings that aren't like the ones around them. You can discount us, and everyone enjoying themselves here tonight. Focus on the hate, and the anger, and any other negative emotion. I know you can do it."</p><p>During my speech, Genni had joined us, slipping her hand into Claire's empty one in a silent show of solidarity. Now, gripping our hands tightly, Claire nodded in determination. Her eyes closed again, for several moments this time, then flew open with a savage pride. "Magneto's not here, but Mystique, Azazel, Riptide, and Angel are, as well as Grizz, Mastermind, and Thornn. Mastermind's the one closest to the President, with Thornn and Grizz as backup."</p><p>Havok nodded in praise. "Well done. Beast, Panther, you should be protected from Mastermind's illusions with your feral capabilities, so you're still on guard duty against him and Thornn. Tank, you and Sprite double team Azazel. You keep him focused on you. Sphinx, you've got Grizz. You know how he likes to play, so keep him away from others. Do not let him near anyone else. Banshee, you've got Riptide and Angel, with Mad Dog backing you up on the ground. Viper, you protect the civilians. Star and I've got Mystique. Now, we need to get as many people out of here as possible."</p><p>"Why don' we just pull the fire alarm?" Genni suggested.</p><p>Everyone looked at her in astonishment. "That is brilliant," Banshee breathed.</p><p>"Perfect," Havok agreed. "But we need to be out of the way before we do. Everyone, back away. Gemini, make everyone else too worried about the fire to notice us. Get them out of here as fast as you can."</p><p>Claire nodded again, and we all backed away from the doorways as far as we could. Havok looked to Claire, who grinned cheekily, then he grinned back before aiming an energy blast at the closest smoke detector. Seconds later, shrill alarms were sounding and sprinklers were starting. Shrieks and shouts followed out of the auditorium, then a mass exodus of the patrons came shooting out of the concert hall, blindly ignoring us.</p><p>"Nice try, Alex," a beautiful blonde said, stunning all of us. It was Charles's sister, the one I'd seen leave him on the beach. "You did your best, I'm sure, sweetheart," she then said to Claire, "but I grew up with Charles. I know what it feels like to have someone manipulate me. And it's never going to happen again."</p><p>"Because that's not what Erik's done to you," Havok spat.</p><p>"At least I'm not fighting someone else's war," she retorted. Havok shot a blast at her, which she dodged with grace. I absorbed it before it could hit anyone else.</p><p>Someone screamed near me, bringing the rest of the room back into focus. Claire's focus had gone to the fight between Havok and Mystique, letting her concentration slip from herding the civilians out of the building. "Claire!" I shouted to her. "Focus! Get them out of here!"</p><p>Grimly, she refocused, and the people once again headed outside. "There's a fire!" "Fire!" "Get me out of here!" People were still shouting, but at least it wasn't about us anymore.</p><p>Men in black suits surrounded a tall man and a sophisticated lady, herding them swiftly to the door. "Get out of the way," one growled, pushing people out of the way. "Get out of the way! President of the United States coming through!" The man was huge, straining the suit jacket covering his back. And his graying, longish, scraggly hair didn't fit with the rest of the younger, neatly groomed men surrounding the President.</p><p>Not stopping to think, I immediately reached toward the man with my power, taking hold of his life energy and giving a squeeze, just enough to shock him. Another growl erupted from his throat, and the man turned to look directly at me.</p><p>He was terrifying. A thick scar traveled across his face, cutting a line from his receding hairline to his left eye and on down nearly to his jaw. And the smile that curved his lips did nothing to reassure me. "Well, aren't you a pretty one?" he asked. It was then that I caught sight of the claws that ended his fingers. I was pretty sure I'd just met Grizz.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just a little warning: There is a bit of violence, and references to violence against women in particular.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Mastermind, Thornne, get the President out of here," Grizz's words were nothing but a rumble, and his predatory grin froze me in my tracks. "I've got the pretty new girl." He stalked toward me, shoving anyone unlucky enough to be in his path. But it wasn't until he made to push a little boy that my fear broke.</p><p>"Don't touch him," I snarled, reaching with my powers to the electricity running through the building, then sending a grapefruit-sized ball at his head. He dodged, with another growl, but it still hit his shoulder.</p><p>"So the new little X-Man thinks she can play with the big boys, does she?" Grizz laughed, a terrible grating sound. "Let's see what you've got, then, Princess." And then he charged, far faster than I thought him capable.</p><p>I managed to keep out of his reach, flinging more energy at his face. Grizz somehow was able to avoid most of my blasts, but three or four were direct hits, making him roar in pain. It kept him at bay, but also succeeded in making him laugh. "Your little tricks can't hold me back forever, Princess," he taunted, feinting to the right. I didn't fall for it, however, and blasted to his left, catching him full in the chest. "That tickles," he laughed, then pulled a woman in front of him, causing me to suddenly halt the blast I'd been sending his way. "Aw, poor wittle X-Girl! Can't possibly act if it means an insignificant human might get hurt."</p><p>"That's not the only way I can use my powers," I retorted, tapping into his power once again. "And you've got so much more energy than normal people for me to play with," I added, grinning at the shocked look on his face. I pulled harder, making him drop the woman, who promptly ran for her life.</p><p>I caught sight of Claire herding the last of the civilians out of the building, and Beast and Genni were protecting the President from Thornn and Mastermind, the latter seeming to be more and more frightened as their fight went on. On my right, Alex (Havok, I reminded myself) connected a perfect right hook to Mystique's jaw, but sadly she retaliated on the way down with a kick to his knee. I wanted to help, but Grizz's laugh in my face brought my concentration back to my own fight.</p><p>"You have an attention problem, don't you?" he asked conversationally, as he landed a punch to my abdomen.</p><p>Pain exploded in my middle, catching me off guard. Grizz took advantage of it and pushed me against the wall. "But you are so very pretty," he crooned, burying his face my hair and wrapping a hand around my neck and squeezing, just enough to make breathing difficult.</p><p>But I wasn't worried about breathing for long. Once my oxygen started getting low, my hold on my other power kicked in, and I saw his past. Hundreds of cruel actions flicked through my mind, each more horrible than the last. I was drowning in violence and couldn't think straight to bring myself back to the surface.</p><p>At long last, a brilliant red blast caused my release, but it still took me a moment to regain my scattered senses. Grizz roared at Havok, turning to swipe at him. I redoubled my efforts, taking energy from the feral, then sending it back at him in the form of blasts. But there was no way I was going to let him come close enough to touch me ever again.</p><p>"Grizz, let's go!" Mystique yelled from the doorway. "The President's gone, mission's a bust. Now let's get out of here before the cadets wake up to what's going on."</p><p>"Until next time, Princess," the huge man smirked at me, then turned to run out.</p><p>He was the last of the Brotherhood to exit the building, and as soon as he was gone, so was my energy. Uncontrollably, I sank down to the floor, hardly conscious of my actions. "You can't stay here, hon," Claire said, suddenly at my side and tugging me back to my feet. "We gotta go."</p><p>I never remembered the trip home; I was far too caught up in the horrific acts that I'd been forced to see, unable to move on. Claire didn't leave my side, Genni, either, but I was hardly conscious to the fact that they were there.</p><p>The next thing I was really aware of was Alex debriefing us. I came to apparently halfway through it. "Gemini, great job protecting the civilians and getting them out of there, especially with the President there making it harder, and Banshee, you did great protecting her. But Star, I know it was your first mission, but you should have known better than to freeze up like that! Especially with Grizz! You can't ever do that again! Do you even realize what he would have done to you if I hadn't gotten to him first?"</p><p>But I did realize, more than Alex could ever comprehend. I didn't reply, however, and he took it as a signal to keep berating me. "He was about to mark you! As his mate! And then who knows what he would have done after that! You can't ever freeze up like that on a mission! Next time, he might kill you. Do you understand me?"</p><p>I nodded numbly, but his words only passed through my mind, the meaning hardly sinking in.</p><p>Claire's very firm words next did, however. "Maybe you should ask her why she froze before you yell at her." Then she quickly and effectively shooed the rest of the team out of the hangar and toward the infirmary, leaving me with a sense of dread and my team captain.</p><p>"What did she mean, Star?" Havok asked, still in leader mode.</p><p>But I couldn't tell him. First off, he would know I had kept a big something from him that he probably should have known about. And secondly, and far more important, I didn't want to talk about what I'd experienced. So I shook my head and turned to leave.</p><p>His hand on my wrist stopped me. "Stella, what happened?" This time, it was Alex, the guy who seemed to care about everyone around him and wanted to protect them from the world. His eyes begged me to tell him, and there was no way I could refuse.</p><p>"I have a second mutation, another power." My voice was hardly more than a whisper, but I couldn't bring myself to speak any louder. "When I touch another person, I can see their past, sometimes their future. I've been working on controlling it with Charles, so normally I can turn it off, but when Grizz was choking me, I panicked, and it kicked in. I saw his past, everything he's ever done, every person he's ever hurt, in terrible, gruesome detail. Estaba tan asustada. And I couldn't fight it."</p><p>Alex's arms came around me, and I finally let out the sobs that had been building from the moment Grizz's skin came into contact with mine. My shoulders shook, and tears came flooding out, soaking the front of Alex's uniform. But he didn't say a word in complaint. He simply pulled me to a nearby bench, then held me, running a gentle hand over my back and whispering comforting nothings in my ear. It was a long while before I finally calmed down enough to realize what he was actually saying. "He's never going to touch you again. You're safe here. I won't let him hurt you. You're safe." Over and over, a variation of the same words soothed me, until I was able to pull back and wipe at my eyes.</p><p>"I'm sorry," I said quietly, self-conscious now that the terror had abated slightly.</p><p>"There's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I'm the one who should apologize," Alex told me, seeming rather chagrined and embarrassed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I was just really worried about you, and my worry sometimes comes out in the form of yelling."</p><p>A brief flicker of a smile crossed my face. "I get it."</p><p>"But I am sorry. And I'll try not to do it again in the future," he promised. There was a moment where he seemed to wrestle with himself, then he asked, "Do you want to talk about what you saw?"</p><p>I didn't, but Charles kept telling me that it was unhealthy to keep things bottled up like I usually did. "He hurts people, and he enjoys it. He glories in it, especially in hurting women and children. The things he's done to so many girls, I keep seeing it run through my mind. And it's horrifying. And I know he wants to do that to me."</p><p>Alex's grip tightened briefly on my shoulder, and his face twisted into a mask of hate. "He would have to kill me first," he swore. "And the rest of the team would never let it happen, either. I promise that he won't get the chance to hurt you again."</p><p>His anger probably should have worried me, but instead, it comforted. I knew Alex to be a man of his word, and it was incredibly reassuring to know that he would be there for me. Especially after what I'd seen of his fight with Mystique.</p><p>We were quiet for a while before he spoke again. And when he did, it was rather halting. "Did you- Is that why- When we first met, was that why you didn't like me?"</p><p>I had no idea what he was talking about, and my face must have shown my confusion. "My past, is that why you didn't like me?"</p><p>Shaking my head, I tried to figure out how to answer his question. "No," I said slowly. "I didn't see your past."</p><p>Alex seemed relieved for a moment, but only a moment. "Then what was it? Why did you dislike me so much?"</p><p>"I didn't dislike you," I protested lamely, knowing exactly how my coldness had been perceived. His eyebrow raised in disbelief proved me right. "I didn't, I swear. It's just… complicated."</p><p>"Complicated. How?"</p><p>"When you touched me that first night, I didn't see anything. There have been exactly three other people who've shown me nothing at all, and they all died less than twenty-four hours later," I explained in a rush, feeling that it was better to get it over with as quickly as possible.</p><p>Alex was shocked. "And you didn't want to get to know me in case I died," was his eventual response.</p><p>"I've been around enough death in the past while that I didn't want to deal with the pain if I could avoid it," I said softly.</p><p>He nodded understandingly. "Obviously, I didn't die like you thought," he started slowly. "And I'm assuming that you still can't see anything when you touch me." I agreed with a nod. "So what does it mean that you can't see anything?"</p><p>Shrugging, I answered. "I don't know. Charles doesn't know. He says he has a theory, but he won't share it. But I don't know. At first, I thought it might mean that you would die soon, just not as soon as I thought it would be. But now, I don't think so. I mean, I've been here for three months and nothing's changed. And everyone's going to die at some point, and I don't see that. So what is it with you?"</p><p>I hadn't meant for him to answer that question, and he knew it. We sat in silence together, contemplating the situation, but then another thought occurred to me. "What did you mean earlier? When you asked if your past was why I didn't like you?"</p><p>Alex was clearly uncomfortable, but he answered me anyway. "When I was fourteen, shortly after my powers developed, a group of men kidnapped me and my friend, to get back at our dads for some mission that went wrong. They started hurting her, nearly killed her, and I freaked out. I didn't have control of my powers, especially when I was scared, and I'd never been more scared in my life. My powers- My powers sort of exploded out of me, and when it was all over, all but two of the men who'd kidnapped us were dead, and my friend."</p><p>I was horrified, and relieved. In that instant, I knew there was someone else who could relate to what I'd gone through.</p><p>But Alex wasn't done. "The two men turned me into the police, twisting the story so that they were trying to save my friend and I killed them all. By the time they were done, the only person who believed me was my mom, but my dad wouldn't let her see me anymore."</p><p>The only way I could figure to comfort him was to share my story. "I was fourteen when my powers developed, too. One night, I was showing off to my Mama and Tia Rosana, and their friend, Margot, in her trailer. I was playing with the energy from the lightbulbs, and I got excited that I could pull more and more, and I wasn't paying attention to where it came from. Until Mama and Tia started choking. Margot yelled for me to let them go, but I was scared, so I just released my hold on all the energy, not sending it back to where it came from, and the trailer went up in flames. Margot got out, and I somehow did, though I still don't know how, but… Mama y Tia didn't make it."</p><p>Alex's arm went around me again. "It looks like we have more in common than we thought," he said, laughing softly at the irony. "Besides our powers, that is."</p><p>I chuckled, as well, before it turned to a groan of pain caused by the motion. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking over me with worry.</p><p>"My shoulder," I whimpered. I tried to move it again, but stopped when pain shot through it again.</p><p>Alex looked over my shoulder, quickly finding the problem. "It looks like Grizz got you a little bit here," he said.</p><p>"How did I miss that?" I mused, looking at the four puncture wounds on my upper arm.</p><p>"Adrenaline and shock," was his absentminded response. He was busy rummaging around the hangar, finding first aid supplies, when he suddenly stopped at looked at me. "Would you rather have Hank look after this for you?"</p><p>"No." My answer was immediate, and I really didn't want to examine the reasoning. "No, he's probably still busy taking care of everyone else. And I trust you."</p><p>It was true. Even before that night, I trusted him to make good decisions as the team leader. But after our discussion, baring the worst parts of our past to each other, I realized that I trusted him implicitly. More than even Charles, who could literally look into my head and see everything there was to me.</p><p>Alex had a funny look on his face as he came back to me, one I couldn't interpret. It wasn't bad; in fact, it almost made me want to blush, but I just couldn't understand it. And then I did blush with what he said next, though I wasn't the only one to do so. "I, uh, you, um, I can't- You're gonna need to undo your uniform a bit so I can clean you up."</p><p>Face bright red, and steadfastly avoiding looking at Alex, I slowly unzipped my suit until it was low enough for him to get at the back of my shoulder. I was mentally thanking the Virgin the whole time that Grizz had gotten the back of me instead of the front, since my unzipped uniform was scandalously low.</p><p>Alex worked quickly but carefully, first cleaning, then dressing the wounds. He placed the last piece of tape over it, saying, "That should do it, but you should have Hank check it out in the morning and redress it."</p><p>As soon as his hands were off me, I was tugging my top back over my shoulder, then closing the zipper as quickly as humanly possible. "Thank you," I told him when I was done, turning back to face him.</p><p>"Meh, it's nothing," he told me, brushing me off.</p><p>"I didn't mean just the bandaging," I told him, forcing myself to do this. Expressing gratitude was never one of my strong suits, but I needed to do this.</p><p>But before I could say anything else, Alex cut me off. "I know, Stell. And you can come to me with anything, anytime. I'm here for you." He held my gaze for a long moment, before adopting a stern look, one I knew to be entirely false. "But I am disappointed that you didn't tell me about your other power. As your team leader, I should know about things like that."</p><p>As we walked back to the mansion, we jokingly discussed ways to prevent another accidental reading during a mission. I strongly turned down his suggestion of having Hank alter my suit to have a mask and gloves, as well. "Sorry, but having my face covered in leather does not sound appealing at all," I replied firmly.</p><p>"Fine," he huffed dramatically. "I suppose we will just have to figure some way to help you control it better."</p><p>"It sounds like you're plotting ways to do this in training. I'm not going to like it, am I?"</p><p>His angelic smile didn't fool me, though it did cause some odd flutterings in my stomach. "Now, why would you ever think that?"</p><p>Alex walked me back to my room. "By the way, I didn't tell you earlier, but you were fantastic tonight. For your first mission, you did really well."</p><p>"Until I froze with Grizz," I teased, not willing to let him forget his earlier scolding just yet, in light of our newly discovered understanding.</p><p>"Now that I know what caused that," he said, grimacing, "you were amazing. You are so much stronger than you realize. Now, try to get some sleep. You'll need it for Charles's plans tomorrow."</p><p>I slipped into my room, leaning against the inside. Now that I didn't have Alex distracting me, something I was rather sure he had done on purpose, all the memories of Grizz's actions flooded through my mind, causing me to gasp from the pressure of it all.</p><p>"Your pajamas are in the bathroom," Claire said lowly through the darkness. I was a bit surprised, once my eyes adjusted, to see Genni's bed pushed up against Claire's. "And your pillow's over here," she added, not giving me a choice.</p><p>I didn't mind, however, once I slipped into Claire's bed and her arms came around me. Grizz's past caused me to break down, but my best friend held me as I cried. Slowly, the comfort she gave me physically as well as through her powers allowed me to sleep.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The three of us girls slept in far more than normal, finally making it downstairs just before noon. No one commented; instead, Sean came out with three plates of waffles smothered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Alex added cups of hot cocoa to the table for all of us, done exactly how each of us preferred it. Claire's had additional chocolate syrup added, topped in more whipped cream. Genni's was more like warmed milk with a teensy scoop of chocolate in it. And mine had a sprinkling of cinnamon on top. I could tell that the boys were trying to pamper us just a little to help make up for the hard night before. And none of us girls complained a bit.</p><p>Later that afternoon, those of us who'd stayed at the school had a rousing snowball fight, my first ever. I somehow suspected that it was a bit unusual, as far as most snowball fights usually went, since ours involved almost twenty mutants, and of course powers were used. By the time we went inside for more hot cocoa, we were all thoroughly frozen and dripping. And grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>After that, we were all chivvied upstairs to change for our fantastic Christmas Eve dinner, followed by singing carols as Claire played the piano. We sang forever, with everyone calling out their favorites for her to play. After nearly two hours, we finally ran out of songs to sing and simply sat around, chatting with one another. It wasn't until ten-thirty that Charles made the younger children go to bed. Well, bed wasn't the right term, since Joey had decided the year before that everyone needed to sleep in the rec room to prevent anyone from cheating and opening their presents early. So, everyone under the age of thirteen still at the school was given a sleeping bag and sent off to sleep, with Rachel keeping an eye on them.</p><p>That left basically those of us on the team still up. We continued talking, getting to know each other better and sharing stories about our childhood Christmases, while we played card games. Who would have suspected that innocent, tiny Genni was so good at poker?</p><p>"Well, girls, it is after eleven. If we're to make it into Tarrytown by midnight, we'd better leave now," Claire told me and Genni.</p><p>As we murmured in agreement, Sean asked us why we were heading into town. "I've never missed a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and I'm not about to start this year," I told him. "And these two wanted to join me."</p><p>"Hank, I think you should drive them," Charles suggested. "It is rather icy, and you have more experience driving in these conditions."</p><p>In the end, Alex, Sean, and Hank all came with us. I made sure that Claire was sitting next to Hank, and Genni joined them in the front seat, leaving me in between the other two boys. I was rather intensely aware of Alex the entire ride to the church, especially since Sean seemed intent on crowding me as much as possible, forcing me to scoot closer to his friend on the other side of me. Every time Alex moved, it was like my stomach was doing a mambo. I only hoped it was dark enough that he missed the blush that lit my face.</p><p>Hank stopped the car in front of the church, letting us all out. "I'll park and then join you," he told us.</p><p>"I don't want you to have to come in on your own," Claire all but purred. "I'll stay with you."</p><p>The other four of us piled out of the car, trying to hide the smirks on our faces. I found, once inside, a pew with enough room for all six of us, but I moved to the one behind it. The one with just enough space for the four of us currently in the church. "This way, Hank has to sit next to Claire. He would never be so ungentlemanly as to snub her like that," I said conspiratorially.</p><p>An older couple sat in front of us, helping to conceal my matchmaking efforts. Our giggles as our two friends slipped in just before the services started almost gave us away, however. Claire did give me a knowing, yet thankful, smile, but Hank seemed blissfully unaware.</p><p>The services were lovely, and my friends waited for me while I lit two candles, one each for Mama and Tia Rosana. Then we all trooped out to the car once more. It was a long drive, and rather late, and before I knew it, my eyes were drifting shut. I tried to stay awake, really I did, but it had been a long day. Several, in fact.</p><p>Before I knew it, Alex was softly saying, "Stella? Stell, wake up. We're home."</p><p>I was incredibly comfortable and warm, and my eyes really didn't want to open, so waking up was hard. Until I discovered the reason for my comfort and warmth was Alex's arm wrapped around me. I shot up at that. "I'm awake!"</p><p>Claire ever so thoughtfully turned her laugh into a cough, just for me. I was avoiding even glancing in Alex's direction as we got out of the car, and I thought he was doing the same, but I couldn't be sure, of course.</p><p>Our little group huddled closely together as we walked back to the house, since it was so cold. "How does it get so cold?" I muttered, pulling my scarf closer around my face and inwardly lamenting that none of us had remembered gloves. And silently grumbling at how slowly we had to walk across the driveway to avoid slipping on the ice, since it meant it would take longer for me to get back to sleep.</p><p>"Well, we are-"</p><p>"She didn't actually mean for a real, scientific answer, Hank," Alex said grumpily, cutting off the rambling, informative response I would have received.</p><p>"Yeah, sorry, Hank. I was just complaining about the cold again," I added, sending my friend an apologetic grin.</p><p>Hank's lips lifted a bit in response just as my feet flew out from under me. Panicking, I blindly reached out, grabbing hold of both Alex and Genni. Alex was pretty steady, only lurching a bit before straightening up again. But Genni, tiny, little Genni, was completely thrown off, and she grabbed at Claire, before going down and taking me and Alex with her. Claire was also put off balance, going down hard, and Sean managed to slip on the ice, since he'd been laughing at the rest of us so hard.</p><p>A stunned, silent moment passed, where Hank looked at the five of us on the ground in a tangle with the most bemused look on his face, like he just couldn't figure out what had just happened. Then, Claire let out an entirely undignified snort, which just set the rest of us off. It was probably a testament of just how exhausted we really were that we didn't stop laughing for more than five minutes.</p><p>Finally, after lying on the ground in a heap for several moments, we all struggled to get up. There was much flailing, and even more slipping, and somehow Sean managed to tangle us even more, even with Hank attempting to help. And then, suddenly, dozens of images raced through my mind.</p><p>"Secretary McCoy." The White House.</p><p>"Why can't you behave for me like you do Auntie Stella?" The mansion, now filled with students.</p><p>"Did ya really think ya could fool me, girly?" A forest, empty except for Grizz.</p><p>"Uncle Alex is going to kill you for this." A motorcycle, laying in pieces on the floor of the hangar.</p><p>"Why wasn't I chosen to go? He deserves to stay here, not me." A dingy bar, with a thick, smoky haze.</p><p>"Do ya think he'll like it?" A dress shop.</p><p>"I am more than capable of raising three children and running a company. Being a woman nor being a mutant is a disadvantage for me." A conference room, with nearly a dozen distinguished looking men.</p><p>"Dr. Trask, the patient is waiting for you." A surgical table, covered with what looked suspiciously like blood.</p><p>That last image was more than I could handle, and as I felt myself slipping into blackness, I welcomed it.</p><p>…</p><p>"Stella? Can you hear me?" Deja vu flooded over me as I became conscious of Charles's voice in my head, bringing me back to consciousness. And then even more when I realized I was lying in Alex's arms again. It was like my first night at the mansion all over again.</p><p>Alex was thinking the same thing, apparently. "We really have to stop meeting like this," he told me, grinning. But his smile didn't hide the worry in his eyes.</p><p>"Stell, are you alright?"</p><p>"Didja bump yar head, hon?"</p><p>"It wasn't me, I swear!"</p><p>"I'm fine," I declared, trying to cut off the flow of worry. Then, I realized lying in Alex's arms in Charles's office probably wasn't helping the situation any, so I attempted to push myself up. I wouldn't have made it to sit on the couch myself if Alex hadn't helped, which really didn't help alleviate their worry.</p><p>"I should run some scans," Hank announced, coming to pick me up, as well.</p><p>"Hank, Stella is fine. Her mutation simply flared up," Charles said, in his calm, "I can take care of anything" voice.</p><p>Claire and Genni both looked more alarmed at this news, while Sean and Hank accepted it. Alex simply tightened his arm around my shoulder, while wrapping the other around my waist. Even though I knew it was incredibly inappropriate, and I was blushing terribly (thank the Virgin for darker skin to hide it a bit), I couldn't help but take comfort in his gesture. And I most definitely did not want to move.</p><p>"Why don't you all head on to bed, and I will talk to Stella for a moment." Charles phrased it as an option, a suggestion, but everyone recognized it for exactly what it was: an order. My friends reluctantly obeyed, but when Alex made to leave, as well, I stopped him.</p><p>"It's something you should know, too," I told him. One part in particular, I thought with the tiniest bit of relief.</p><p>Claire really didn't want to leave after I let Alex stay, but she seemed appeased when I gave her a look. One that hopefully said I would let her know later.</p><p>Once the door shut, Charles turned, focusing completely on me, on helping me. "What happened, Stella?"</p><p>I shook my head. "I'm not sure. My control was probably down from being so tired, and there were hands everywhere, and I just saw four different people's futures in about ten seconds."</p><p>I didn't realize I was shaking until Alex took my hand in his. "It's okay, Stell. You're okay," he told me, grounding me.</p><p>"Would you like to talk about it?" It was Charles's suggestion, but Alex's eyes were begging the same question. And since it was the reason I'd had him stay, I figured I probably should.</p><p>"Could you just see it for yourself?" I asked Charles. "And show Alex, too?" it would be easier that way, I added silently.</p><p>Charles's sympathetic glance told me my thoughts were rather loud again, but he thankfully said nothing about it. "Of course. Close your eyes, both of you."</p><p>I did, and then we were back in my vision. It was over in a flash, but I still clenched Alex's hand the entire time. After it was over, for the second time, Charles looked as shaken as I was. "Well, there is good news," he started with a tired smile. "At least we know that Alex doesn't die soon."</p><p>"And apparently Hank has children," Alex added, trying to smile as well. "Or at least a child."</p><p>"And Claire has three," I joined in, barely stopping myself from adding, "Possibly Hank's." I didn't think she would like me outing her feelings for our resident shy genius, even if everyone already knew about it.</p><p>"What do you think the part with Grizz is, Charles?" Alex asked, tightening his grip on my hand at the other man's name.</p><p>"I don't know," Charles answered with a sigh. "I don't know what to think about Grizz, and the bar, and definitely not the operation table. What I do know is that now we can be wary of anyone named Trask, and that for now, there's nothing more we can do about it." Alex looked like he was about to argue, but Charles raised his hand. "The future is always ahead of us, Alex, and it will come whether we want it to or not. Worrying over the future does nothing but rob us of our peace of mind here and now. So I suggest we all make our way to bed soon, since I know a certain seven year old who will undoubtedly wake us all in a few short hours. Best to get some sleep while you still can."</p><p>And that was the end of it. I couldn't really argue with Charles's logic, even though the worry in the pit of my stomach made me want to. I nodded, stood, and headed toward the door. It was then that I realized I was still holding Alex's hand. "Sorry," I blurted, blushing terribly once again, then rushed out the room. I could feel Charles's amusement even as I heard Alex knocking into something.</p><p>"Stella, wait!"</p><p>But I didn't. I didn't want to face him after that. The relief I felt realizing he wasn't going to die anytime soon was rampant, making me realize other things that I didn't want to have, let alone acknowledge. The way he'd held me, both in the car and in Charles's office, and the genuine worry about me I'd seen in him, and how safe and comfortable I'd felt all just served to make me more confused and scared and wanting nothing more than to run away. Running was something I was good at.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The girls immediately demanded an explanation when I walked into our room. I told them I'd seen the future, which they were expecting, but nothing more. They were quiet for a beat, then Genni burst out with, "What did ya see?" At Claire's censuring look, she added, "Oh, don' give me that! Ya were just wonderin' abou' it, too."</p><p>Claire did manage to look sheepish. "Yes, but we agreed not to ask her."</p><p>"No, ya said we shouldn' and thought Ah would go along with it. Well, Ah'm not gonna. Ah wanna know what ya saw, Stell, and why ya were so worked up abou' it."</p><p>Genni actually disagreeing with Claire was a marvel in and of itself, but the fact that she was doing it out of concern for me made me nearly tell them. Nearly. "It was all un enredo, a jumble. I'm not sure who's future was what, since I was touching you two and Hank and Sean."</p><p>Claire looked like she didn't believe me, but Genni spoke before she could out me. "Oh, that's understandable, Ah guess. But why'd it happen, anyway? Ah thought ya had control over it bettah."</p><p>Now, it was my turn to be a bit sheepish. "I do, normally. But I was really tired, still a bit asleep, really, and it was a surprise, and all of you were touching me, and it's been a long few days. I just wasn't controlling it like I normally do, that's all."</p><p>"So why was it something Alex needed to know?" Claire asked next. "I mean, if it was all jumbled up."</p><p>Her knowing look was rather pointed. So, of course, I blushed. "I, um, he, uh- The only thing that really made sense was… someone referring to him as 'Uncle Alex', so I knew that he's not going to die soon, and since I told him last night about seeing nothing in his future, and he was bothered by it, so I wanted to tell him so he wouldn't be worried anymore."</p><p>Claire was looking far too knowing for my comfort. "That was the only thing you got? Something about Alex?" she asked teasingly.</p><p>"Um, yes?"</p><p>Her grin continued to grow, but thankfully, Genni spoke up before she could further embarrass me. "Well, at least we know Alex'll be all righ'. And ya can stop worryin' about that."</p><p>"Yeah, exactly," I replied through a huge yawn.</p><p>"Oh, hon, ya need to go to bed. Ya must be completely drained," Genni said, ushering me toward my pyjamas.</p><p>Not much else was said as I changed and we all climbed into our beds, still squished together from the night before. But, even as tired as I was, sleep was a long time coming that night. It felt like I'd only gotten a few minutes of real rest before Rebecca was shaking me awake. "It's Christmas, Stella! Wake up!"</p><p>"Are they up yet?" I recognized Joey's voice coming from the hallway, then I saw his anxious little face peering around the doorway, since boys weren't allowed in girls' rooms. "You were supposed to sleep in the rec room with all of us!" he told us, seeing that we were awake. Somehow, his words managed to be pouty and accusing at the same time.</p><p>"We're sorry, buddy," Genni yawned. "But Stella really needed a bed last nigh'. She wasn' feelin' herself."</p><p>"Who was she feeling then?" he asked, head cocked in curiosity.</p><p>"Alex," Claire murmured in my ear, before pushing me out of the beds.</p><p>Both her words and actions caught me off guard, resulting in me being a blushing heap on the floor. "I hate you," I told her, with absolutely no malice.</p><p>"Come on, Stella! We have presents to open," Rebecca whined, tugging at my hand.</p><p>"Yeah, Santa came last night! I tried to catch him, but he's just too sneaky," Joey added seriously.</p><p>"Didn't you know? Santa's a mutant," Claire told him, wrapping a fluffy robe around herself at the same time. "That's how he can be so sneaky. And get all over the world in one night."</p><p>"Santa's a mutant?" Joey whispered, eyes comically wide in his astonishment.</p><p>"Yeah, a course he is," Genni piped up. "Now, let's go see what he brought us."</p><p>Once in the rec room, I immediately headed to a seat across the room from Alex. Claire smirked at me, but still followed to sit next to me. "Well, now that we are all here," Charles said with a grin aimed at the three of us girls, "I think it's time to open our presents. Joey, as the youngest, would you do the honors, please?"</p><p>Apparently, Charles's family had had the tradition of the youngest person present passing out the gifts one at a time, and he felt it a good one to continue. And Joey took his duties very seriously. He made sure everyone had a turn before someone got another. He gravely handed the person their present, waited (im)patiently for the gift wrap they discarded, then moved on to the next person. It was very nearly the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.</p><p>After more than two hours of presents (Charles really spoiled us all), we had breakfast. Alex and Sean whipped up an even more elaborate spread than usual, giving us a truly fantastic feast. The day was then spent lazing around, playing games, reading books, chatting quietly, even taking naps. Entertainment eventually found us in the form of mistletoe.</p><p>It was Rebecca who pointed it out. "Stella, you're standing under the mistletoe," she said excitedly. "That means you have to kiss someone before you can leave that spot."</p><p>That was alarming. "I have to what?"</p><p>"It's tradition, Stella," she told me, now scolding. "You have to kiss a boy, or you can't move."</p><p>"When did this become a tradition?" I could see Alex out of the corner of my eye, though I was steadfastly focused on Rebecca. But it seemed like he was moving closer, raising my embarrassment, not to mention panic.</p><p>"I think the Middle Ages," Charles told me with amusement heavily evident in his voice.</p><p>"I don't think I like this tradition," I replied, a bit frantic now for a way out. Alex was definitely moving closer to me, that much was clear.</p><p>"You just have to kiss a boy," Rebecca told me, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.</p><p>Then, just as Alex was opening his mouth to speak, I saw my way out. "Joey! You're a boy!" I cried.</p><p>"Yeah, so?" He most definitely was not impressed with my deductive skills.</p><p>"Would you do me the honor of a kiss to release me?" My words were nearly sticky, they were so sweet, but I had to pour on the charm for the boy. There was no way I was going to kiss any other male in the school.</p><p>"Ew! Why would I kiss you?"</p><p>Thankfully, my ego wasn't fragile enough to be harmed by his response. "If you kissed me, just on the cheek, you would be my héroe, like a knight in shining armor." I might have been desperate at this point, pulling out his favorite part of the book we'd read earlier, but I had no other choice. At least not one that I was willing to make.</p><p>"Like you and the other X-Men?"</p><p>My ego may have been boosted at that, though. "Exactly! Now, could you rescue me, my héroe?"</p><p>Joey screwed up his face in contemplation. "Fine," he said finally, making me sigh a little in relief. "But only so I can be a hero."</p><p>"You are most definitely my héroe," I assured him, then pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. To his credit, he didn't wipe it off, simply scrunched his nose in distaste.</p><p>"No more kisses for me," he stated, before stomping off in a huff.</p><p>I caught Claire's gaze halfway through my chuckle, strangling it. "Don't you dare say anything," I mouthed insistently.</p><p>Her return look was pure innocence. "Wasn't planning on it," she mouthed back. "But then again, I don't need to, do I?" she added in a whisper as she walked by me. "Thank you, though, for giving me a fantastic idea."</p><p>Over the next half an hour or so, I watched Claire flawlessly maneuver Hank around the library until he ended up cornered, literally, under another sprig of mistletoe. "You can't move until someone kisses you," she flirted.</p><p>Hank blushed furiously, looking everywhere but Claire's face. "I, uh, it, er, I- It wouldn't be appropriate. I'm your teacher," he finally managed, skirting around her stunned form in the silence that followed.</p><p>Genni and I immediately headed toward Claire, guiding her quickly to the privacy of our room. "Thank heavens the library was mostly empty," Genni whispered to me.</p><p>I nodded, knowing that Charles and James wouldn't say anything. Imagining Claire's reaction if, say, Veronica had witnessed it wasn't pretty.</p><p>Once in our room, Genni led Claire to her bed while I shut the door. "Why don't ya just sit here for a while, sugah?"</p><p>That seemed to break the spell, since Claire erupted into speech and action, pacing wildly around our room. "Why did he do that? I know he's attracted to me. I know emotions, and he is most definitely attracted to me. Hank likes me! So why did he do that to me?"</p><p>"Maybe he just thought it was inappropriate, just like he said," Genni told her. After all, it was a very logical assumption.</p><p>She snorted in derision. "If Hank was worried about it being inappropriate, he wouldn't have been staring at my legs all day in front of a telepath. Or at least he would have felt a little guilty about it. But no, the only time he felt guilty all day was when I wanted to kiss him. That's it."</p><p>"Was he broadcasting his emotions that much?" I asked, suddenly a little wary.</p><p>Claire had the decency to look abashed. "Um, no, not really. I was just really attuned to his feelings."</p><p>"Claire! You know it's not right when you do that, except in combat situations," I scolded.</p><p>"Oh, whatever! You can stand up on your little high horse all you want, keeping everything you see about a person's future to yourself, but I'm sorry I'm not as noble as you are," she spat at me.</p><p>I gasped. If she had punched me in the face, it would have shocked me less. "I had no idea you felt that way," I struggled to say. "I'll just stay out of your way from now on." And then I turned and walked out of the room.</p><p>"Stell, wait. Stella!" Genni called after me, but I didn't listen. And I knew she wouldn't follow me. She'd been Claire's friend first, so of course she would stay with her.</p><p>I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, but I wasn't really surprised when I found myself in the bunker, the one where Alex and I practiced. I was surprised, however, to find it already occupied. Alex looked up from his seat on the floor at me, and I stumbled a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here. I'll just go," I mumbled.</p><p>"Don't go. You look like you could use some time away from people, too," he told me. At my confused look, he motioned to my face. "You've been crying. What's wrong?"</p><p>I wiped at my face, thrown off guard when I found that he was right. "No es nada. I'm just going to-"</p><p>"Stella, what's wrong?" In one smooth motion, Alex came to stand in front of me. His hand was over mine on the door handle, effectively keeping me from leaving. "Why are you crying? You know you can tell me anything."</p><p>Somehow, that was all it took. I found myself sitting on the ground, spilling everything to Alex, and not just the argument with Claire. I told him about my mother, and my rocky relationship with Tia, and how I still missed them both so much it hurt to breath at times. Life at the circus after Old Man Larkin died, the fear I felt after his son took over, how isolated I was after the fire were all discussed. I told him how I could never forget something I saw about another person's life, how it was always in the back of my mind, coming out to haunt me in the form of nightmares. And, of course, the real reason why Claire's comment had hurt so much. "I've never really had friends," I confessed softly. "There weren't that many kids at the circus, and among the few there, I was still an oddball. So when I got here, and Claire and Genni just accepted me without question, and I guess I've just been waiting for it to all turn out to be some colossal joke. After all, why would anybody ever want to be my friend?"</p><p>Alex's arms were around me before I finished speaking. "You are amazing," he said into my hair. "You are funny, and smart, and kind, and particularly handy on missions," he joked, pulling a small chuckle out of me. "You have so many friends here, Stella. And yes, even Claire and Genni are your friends. They love you, Claire especially. She doesn't actually let that many people in, so the fact that she took you in, no questions asked, no forcing you to prove yourself first, was a bit of a shock to all of us. But she's stubborn, and she doesn't like to be told she's doing something wrong. Trust me, as her team leader, I know. But she'll get over it quickly, and she'll be asking you to forgive her by dinner, bedtime at the latest."</p><p>His words comforted me a little, even if I wasn't sure I could believe them. We talked for a few more moments, before I realized something. "You said I looked like I could use time away from people, too. What's wrong? Did something happen?"</p><p>One corner of his mouth lifted, but it wasn't a smile. "I called home earlier," he explained.</p><p>"Oh," I said softly, already able to guess somewhat where this was heading.</p><p>"Yeah. My mom answered, so I was actually able to talk to her. I think I may have hung up if the General had answered. Anyway, I talked to her for a bit, and that was nice, but when I talked to Scott, my little brother, he kept asking me when I was going to visit so I could see his new puppy. And I couldn't tell him. He asks every time, and every time, I keep telling him soon, but he's getting tired of hearing that. This time, he said maybe I shouldn't come, then."</p><p>It was my turn to wrap my arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Alex," I whispered, my heart breaking for him.</p><p>He didn't reply, simply held on to me for a long moment. "What a fine pair we make," he laughed, pulling away from me finally. I smiled back, rather mirthlessly.</p><p>"It's dinner time." I started, hearing Charles's voice in my head, and Alex laughed.</p><p>"Give it a few years," he told me, jumping up, then turning to give me a hand up. "You'll get used to hearing voices soon enough."</p><p>My answering laugh turned into a surprised gasp as we left the bunker. "It's so cold!" I needlessly said, rubbing my arms furiously.</p><p>"You made it out here without a coat?!" Alex was wrapping me in his leather jacket before I even realized he'd taken it off. "You can't come outside without a coat on until at least May," he ordered jokingly.</p><p>His care, not to mention his arm around my shoulders and the smell of him on his jacket, made flamingos take flight in my stomach. I mentally told them to calm down. They didn't listen. In fact, they continued to fly around, and were even joined in by goosebumps erupting all over my arms and legs that had nothing to do with the cold.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dinner was an awkward affair, with Hank avoiding Claire, and Claire and I avoiding each other, and Genni sending glares at Claire. Thankfully, there were enough other people at the table to put a buffer between us all.</p><p>Just like Alex predicted, Claire did apologize after dinner, but things were still a bit awkward in the room after that. The three of us girls sort of tiptoed around each other, afraid to say the wrong thing and offend someone again. As a result, I spent a lot of time visiting Hank's lab. He told me about various experiments he was conducting, even letting me help with some of them. Hank seemed genuinely pleased to have someone interested in his work and I loved to learn, so it was a beautiful setup.</p><p>Just before classes started again in January, Charles invited me to his office. "I'm glad to see you settling in so well here, Stella. I do hope you've been happy," he started out.</p><p>"Of course!" I gushed, desperate for him to realize how sincere I was. After all, this was the first real home I'd had since Mama and Tia had died. "I love it here!"</p><p>"Even with the cold?" he joked.</p><p>"Well, it could be a little warmer, but unfortunately, I can't control the weather," I sighed, overly dramatic in response to his teasing.</p><p>Charles laughed. "I almost think you could, if you put your mind to it. I don't think there's much you couldn't do, Stella, which actually brings me to what I wanted to discuss with you. You've made incredible progress since September. You have caught up with your classmates, and even passed some of them up. Not only will you be able to graduate in June, but you'll be qualified to attend college, if you wish to."</p><p>I was stunned. College had always been a dream for me, but never a concrete one. It had always seemed so unattainable for me. Mama had encouraged me to try for it, and it was even part of the reason we'd been trying to leave the circus, but after her death, I'd sort of given up on the idea. And now, here was Charles, practically giving me my dreams on a platter. Elation flowed through me.</p><p>Until a thought brought me down. "I can't afford college, Charles," I said quietly.</p><p>His kind face turned stern. "Estrella, I want you to listen to me very carefully," he said authoritatively. "If college is something you want to do, I will help you achieve your dreams. I am not about to see you give up on something you clearly hold so dear on account of something so trivial as money, especially when I have the means at my disposal to help you with it. Do I make myself clear?" His words resonated in my mind as well as my ears, and I could feel just how much he truly meant them. I nodded, unable to speak through my emotion. "You're part of my family now, Stella, and I take care of my own," he said, softer now.</p><p>Charles's sincerity rang in every word he spoke. I felt it in every fiber of my being, and it broke down the last of the barriers I'd carefully erected around myself. I found myself crying, and laughing, all at the same time. Charles wheeled himself in front of me and wrapped his arms around me, and I felt a little piece of me fall into place, like I'd been meant to find my way to this school all along.</p><p>Once I finally got control of my emotions again, Charles spoke. "Where would you like to attend college?" he asked me. "Any college or university in the entire world, just name it. Oxford, for example, is a splendid school," he added, with a tiny grin threatening to break free.</p><p>I glanced at his diplomas framed on the wall and, as expected, saw the name of that university on all of them. "I think somewhere a bit closer to home would be nice," I said, then blushed when I noticed how casually I'd called his house "home".</p><p>His grin simply grew. "There are several good schools in the city, and you could even come home on weekends occasionally, if you would like. What did you have in mind to study?"</p><p>I blushed a bit again, and it took me a minute to reply. "I've always sort of wanted to be a teacher," I finally told him quietly.</p><p>Charles was beaming. "You will be a brilliant teacher," he enthused. "You've got the younger children all hanging on your every word already, and the older students look to you as an example."</p><p>We talked for a while more about several different schools, and he promised to help me with the application process. He was saying something about essays when he stopped midsentence, cocking his head to the side, eyebrows furrowing as he listened to something I couldn't hear. "I'm so sorry to interrupt our lovely discussion, Stella, but we need to head to the War Room right now," he told me seriously after a moment. "Collect your uniform and your roommates, and meet me down there right away."</p><p>The last of his words were spoken only in my mind, since I was already running from his office. I met Genni and Claire in the hallway, my uniform in Genni's hand. "This seems big," I told them on our way down. "Charles looked really worried."</p><p>Once all the teammates were assembled in the War Room, or at least those of us who'd stayed over the holidays, Charles wasted no time. "I've just received word that there is to be another attempt to kidnap the President. He's been spending the holidays at Camp David, planning to leave tomorrow. The Brotherhood plans to strike there, where the security isn't quite as tight as it is at the White House. The attack will happen tonight. You must stop this from happening."</p><p>"Charles's information has indicated that the attack will be carried out by the same team as at Christmas, but with one addition," Alex, or really Havok, continued. "Magneto will be leading this time, so there is absolutely no room for error tonight. Star, Panther, you've not encountered him yet, and we'll try to keep it that way, but you're about to meet one of the most dangerous mutants out there. As a reminder to all, make sure that you aren't wearing anything that Magneto can control and use against you. Beast and Panther, you need to get Mastermind out of the equation as soon as possible. Take him out to keep him from using his illusions on the rest of us. Sphinx, you've got Grizz. Once they've got Mastermind subdued, Beast and Panther will help you get him and Thornn. Sprite, take Azazel. I know he's about double your size, but use that to your advantage. We've been working on how to take out bigger opponents, and you can do it. Banshee, Viper, and Mad Dog will get Riptide and Angel. Gemini, you did such a good job last time. Think you can do it again?" At Claire's determined nod, he smiled. "You get POTUS and everyone out of the way. Star-"</p><p>But I cut him off. "Why don't we go now?" At Havok's stunned look, I continued. "Why don't we go now, and Cl- Gemini can convince them all to go back tonight. Then we won't even have a confrontation."</p><p>"Discretion is the better part of valor," Charles murmured, a smile working its way onto his face.</p><p>"We're going now," Havok directed. "Everyone, get to the Blackbird now. You can change on the jet. Wheels are up in five. Stella, you are brilliant!" The jubilant grin he shot me sent the usually dormant flamingos in my stomach into flight again. I ignored them and followed the rest of the team to the hangar.</p><p>This flight was much longer than the last had been, which meant after changing, I actually had time to remember how much I hated being on the Blackbird. "Here, Stell," Claire said quietly, interrupting my mild panicking. "Let me do your hair for you. Just in case you need it out of your way."</p><p>She spent the next half an hour dragging a brush through my hair, the rhythmic pull lulling me into a rather blank state of mind. Then, as we neared Camp David, she quickly braided it, tying it off just as Hank touched down in the woods nearby. "Thanks, Claire," I whispered, and she grinned.</p><p>"What are best friends for?" she quipped. Standing up and quickly popping her neck, she headed off the plane. "Now, time to save the President. Again. If only I could tell my dad about this."</p><p>The team disembarked from the plane, then spread out as Havok instructed. "We can't be sure that the Brotherhood doesn't have someone here already, so we need to keep our eyes open as we get Gemini close enough to do her job. If you do run into anyone, either Brotherhood or Secret Service, call for help. Sprite will be up the in the air, keeping an eye on everything. Now, let's save the President of the United States." His grin was infectious, encouraging, and I couldn't help but grin back.</p><p>We all spread out through the woods. We weren't really expecting anyone, especially not this far out, but I was still cautious. I kept my eyes and ears open, scanning around me as I walked. But after ten minutes of seeing nothing but snow and trees, I was a bit bored and definitely not paying attention to my surroundings like I should have. Which was why I found myself nearly nose to nose with Grizz.</p><p>"Hello again, Princess," he growled, gripping my throat.</p><p>Panic threatened to overtake me, just like the last time. But it wasn't like the last time. Havok had trained me for just such a predicament. I refused to let the panic win, bringing my arm up inside his and knocked his elbow out with my own. I followed it with a blast right in the face, sending him flying backwards.</p><p>As Grizz clambered to his feet, I focused on my panic and on Claire, hoping that she would feel my emotions and send help. And then Grizz was in my face again. "I was hoping to run into you again, Princess," he taunted. "Ever since last time, I just can't get you out of my head. And it seems like you want to play."</p><p>He jumped forward, trying to trap me against a tree, but I dodged out of his way, sending energy at him to keep him away. He laughed. "We could have so much fun together, if you just gave in to me."</p><p>"I don't think we have quite the same idea of fun," I gasped, dodging out of the way of his claws just in time.</p><p>"I could teach you," he said, then blindsided me with a feint, wrapping me in his arms.</p><p>There was no way I could get out. It felt like two tree trunks were wrapped around my body, trapping my arms to my sides. Then Grizz nuzzled his face in my neck, sending icy terror flooding through my veins. "Mmmmm, you smell so good, Princess," he murmured, running his nose along my ear, before breathing in the scent of my hair.</p><p>You might be on your own, I reminded myself. You just might have to save yourself.</p><p>With that, I steeled myself and pulled at his energy, grinning when I felt his arms slack. A quick jerk of my head back and I heard his nose break, even with the furious obscenity he bellowed. I pushed myself forward, turning as soon as I was free.</p><p>Grizz's normally frightening face was even more so with blood pouring from his nose. Despite this, he was grinning, the blood staining his teeth. "I knew you could be fun. Why don't we play?" he taunted. Then he whipped his head to the right. "Your little mind tricks won't work on me, Gemini, so you're really no good to my Princess, now are you?"</p><p>At his words, Claire stepped out from behind a tree, and just seeing her there, for me, gave me a boost of confidence. "Then it's a good thing I didn't come alone, now, isn't it?" Claire sneered back, just as a flash of red caught Grizz in the back.</p><p>He turned with a snarl, launching himself at Havok. He was intercepted by a blue blur, then Banshee arrived with a shriek, making Grizz, with his enhanced hearing, cringe in pain for a moment. Havok, Banshee, and Beast kept up their assault, even as Grizz attempted to get to me. "We'll be together soon, Princess," he shouted in promise at me, while Gemini and Panther hurried me away, back to the Blackbird.</p><p>It wasn't long before the rest of the team joined us, sans the three oldest members of the team. It was another tense ten minutes before they finally climbed aboard. "Get us in the air, Beast," Alex directed as he collapsed into a seat, clutching his stomach with bloodied fingers.</p><p>Hank piloted us home and tried to give Sean instructions on how to help Alex, but growled with frustration at Alex's third yelp of pain. "Here, let me see," I said, pulling myself out of my seat and over to Alex. I gently pushed Sean away so I could help his best friend.</p><p>Five long gashes ran from Alex's left shoulder nearly to his right hip, all the way through his uniform. "I think you're going to need a new uniform," I told him lightly, trying to push aside my feelings of guilt. After all, it was my fault he was like this. "I'm gonna need, um… You're going to need to take the top off so I can get to the wound."</p><p>Alex chuckled a bit, though it ended quickly and in a gasp. "I feel like we've been through this before," he said, wincing as I helped him pull a sleeve off.</p><p>"Yes, well, now the tables have turned, and it's my turn to help you," I told him, forcibly pushing my guilty feelings aside.</p><p>It didn't work. My hands still shook as I cleaned his wounds, splashing a bit more antiseptic than necessary across his chest. "Stella," he said softly, closing one hand over mine. I tried to avoid his gaze, but he tilted my chin, making me meet his eyes. "This isn't your fault."</p><p>"I know," I replied, flashing him a small smile.</p><p>Alex didn't believe me. "It's not your fault," he repeated, his hands still keeping me from moving. "This is all on Grizz. It's not your fault he's a psychopath. He's the one who did this, not you."</p><p>I nodded, letting his words sink in a little. He smiled and opened his mouth, but Sean cut him off. "Nothing inappropriate now, kids," he told us, causing both Alex and me to furiously blush.</p><p>"You're an idiot," Claire told him, smacking him on the head.</p><p>"If ya'll aren't gonna help, get outta the way," Genni added, handing me some gauze.</p><p>By the time we landed back in Westchester, Alex's torso was completely wrapped in bandages. Charles met us, and his face fell when he saw his friend. "What happened? Are you alright? Did you save the President?"</p><p>"We're all fine, Charles," Alex reported. "I'm the only one really hurt. And Gemini was brilliant. She got the President's daughter to decide she needed to get back to Washington tonight to see her fiance. The whole family was gone within about ten minutes."</p><p>"Then what happened to you?" Charles's bewilderment was understandable, given the circumstances.</p><p>"Grizz was there, keeping an eye on things, I think," Hank answered. "Only he caught Stella's scent, and attacked her."</p><p>"Are you alright, Stella?" Charles's concern warmed me, but I hurried to assure him.</p><p>"I'm fine, really. Just a few bruises, probably. Nothing like last time."</p><p>"Yes, because this time, I could feel your panic and knew something was wrong," Claire interjected, wrapping one arm around my shoulders. "I'm glad it worked, but never do that to me again. You are never facing Grizz again. Ever."</p><p>"I didn't really think it would work," I confessed, "but I didn't know what else to do."</p><p>"Wait, what did you do?" Sean asked, voicing everyone else's confusion.</p><p>"I thought of Claire, and let all of my feelings of panic go to her," I explained slowly, unable to answer it better.</p><p>"Remarkable," Charles breathed. "You managed to channel your emotions to Claire, instead of letting her influence yours. This is a remarkable breakthrough. Stella, Claire, this is something that bears further study."</p><p>"But first, we all need food and sleep," Hank insisted, his role as our doctor shining through. "Especially Alex. You need to rest for several days, maybe even a week or longer, to heal." Alex opened his mouth to protest, but Hank cut him off. "I could enforce bed rest, with Charles's help. Do you want that?"</p><p>Alex quickly stopped all protests, adopting a facade of patient endurance instead. "Whatever you say, Dr. McCoy."</p><p>"I like hearing that," Hank replied. "Let's just see how long it actually lasts."</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things got back to normal with us girls after that. Nothing like them saving my life to push aside any awkward feelings. And Alex healed quickly, though he was left with some impressive scarring. Soon enough, the only real reminder of Grizz was the occasional nightmares I got of his past actions.</p><p>The last weekend in January found Claire with a need to shop. "I haven't bought anything since before Thanksgiving!" she moaned at breakfast. "Well, except for presents, but that doesn't count. That was for you girls. I want to shop for me."</p><p>Genni and I exchanged amused glances. We both knew that at least half of anything Claire would end up buying would be for us. "We can go shopping," I told her, completely aware that there was no changing her mind when she was like this.</p><p>Or so I thought. Hank paused in passing our table with Alex. "Um, you girls can't leave campus," he said, shifting awkwardly when Claire fixed her gaze on him. He clearly wasn't over the mistletoe incident.</p><p>"And why not?" Claire's icy tone told me she wasn't over it, either.</p><p>"Um, uh, erm," Hank sputtered, before turning to Alex. "They deserve to know. Especially Stella."</p><p>Alex glared at Hank, but I ignored it. "Especially Stella, why? Why am I not allowed off campus suddenly?" I may have screeched this just a little.</p><p>"Why don't we take this to Charles's office?" Alex sighed.</p><p>Charles didn't seem terribly surprised when we trooped into his office. "You finally told her, then?" he asked Alex.</p><p>"Finally?" I definitely screeched that time. "How long have I not been allowed off campus and didn't even know it?"</p><p>Alex looked distinctly uncomfortable when Charles, with a badly concealed grin, invited him to answer that question. "Just after classes started again, we-"</p><p>"You mean Stella's been under house arrest for three weeks, and nobody bothered to tell her?" Claire interrupted, full of indignation on my behalf.</p><p>"I thought it was a good idea at that time," Alex defended, getting upset now, too.</p><p>"Why don' we let let th' boys explain, an' then we can be upset." Genni's soft suggestion got everyone's attention. As usual, she was the voice of reason, and we all settled down a bit, though I noticed Claire was still glaring at Alex.</p><p>Who glared back a bit as he started to explain again. "Just after classes started, Hank noticed something on the security feeds, so he checked it out. It turned out to be Grizz, prowling the perimeter of the grounds. Hank then brought it to Charles and me. We did some more investigating, and- Stella, Grizz is here for you. He's obsessed with you."</p><p>"What?" Claire's screech barely registered to me. I was too shocked to really pay attention to what was going on around me. A madman, one who had raped and killed more women and girls than anyone else knew, was obsessed with me. That didn't bode well for me. I knew what happened to the objects of his obsession. They tended to last longer than the others, but that almost seemed worse to me.</p><p>"Stella, you'll be alright. I won't- We won't let anything happen to you," Alex promised me.</p><p>That got my attention. "Why didn't you tell me?" His face fell a bit at my question, but I was rather upset with him, so I didn't care. "Why didn't you tell me, instead of hiding it from me? Did you think I couldn't handle it? That I'm some sort of delicate flower that needs protecting?"</p><p>"What? No, of course not, Stella-"</p><p>"I can take care of myself, you know. I was doing it quite well before I got here. For four years, I might add."</p><p>"But you never had homicidal psychopaths on your scent, either! I'm your team leader. I made a decision as such, to protect you," he said stubbornly.</p><p>"To protect me, or to protect you from having to tell me?" I questioned, shaking my head. "I can't believe you thought it would be better to not tell me. It's like you don't even know me at all."</p><p>I left Charles's office, and I found myself, yet again, in the bunker. Hours passed, where I alternated between angrily flinging energy around and morosely sitting, slumped on the floor. The latter was how Claire and Genni found me, bringing me a coat and cake.</p><p>"Alex really was just trying to protect you," Claire said, uncharacteristically gentle. "He really does care about you."</p><p>"If he cared about me, he would have told me in the first place," I mumbled around the cake in my mouth. "He wouldn't have hidden it from me, like I couldn't handle it."</p><p>"Does it change anything, now that you know?" I glared at her, but couldn't disagree. "Then it's pretty ridiculous to stay mad at him."</p><p>We had similar conversations over the next few weeks, since I refused to speak to Alex after that day. I still went to training, both my individual ones and our team's, but I managed it all without a word to him. At first, he tried to get me to talk, but after my stubborn silence in return, he soon gave up. And as much as I didn't want to admit it, I missed him. I missed the way we joked, and the way he could relate to my past in a way that none of my other friends could. But after three weeks of silence on my part, I didn't know how to bridge that gap. And I didn't know if he would even want me to at this point.</p><p>…</p><p>It was the last Sunday in February, and Claire and I were both in our dorm room. Genni was working on a group project for her history class in the library, so we hadn't seen her since breakfast. I'd finished my homework and was idly playing with Mama's old prop tarot cards, while Claire was working on an essay for Charles. She'd spent the last ten minutes sighing. I simply figured it was because she was exhausted from working with Charles on the range of her empathy. After all, she had come back complaining of a headache after every session, including the one that morning. So it surprised me when she spoke. "Stell, you know I love you, right?"</p><p>"Yes," I replied slowly.</p><p>"Oh, good. So you know I say this with all the love I have for you in my heart, then. I need you to leave."</p><p>"What?" I wasn't even doing anything, and here she was, kicking me out of my own dorm room.</p><p>"Hon, I'm not terribly in control of my empathy right now, and you are drowning me in your emotions. If a telepath were to read me at this moment, they would probably think I was the one in love with Alex," she told me.</p><p>"I'm not in love with Alex!"</p><p>"Oh, hon, you are so in love with him. Why do you think you've been so miserable lately without him? You're in love with him, and you think he's never going to forgive you for blowing up at him about the whole house arrest thing. And then there's the reason why you blew up at him in the first place: you think he doesn't see you as an equal, but as someone he simply needs to protect. You're in love with him. And you're drowning me in your projections. Now I have this essay that's due tomorrow, and I cannot concentrate on it with you flipping the Lovers card around like that."</p><p>I looked at the card in my hand and was stunned to find that it was, indeed, the Lovers. I didn't believe in divination using a deck of cards, but I couldn't help noticing the significance. Claire smirked at me, then gave a rather pointed nod to the door. Grabbing my coat with a grumble, I headed outside.</p><p>Once in the bunker, I started pacing. I simply couldn't get Claire's words out of my head. "I'm not in love with Alex," I muttered. "I'm not." I continued pacing, and continued muttering to myself, slipping into Spanish, just like I always did when I was seriously agitated. "No estoy enamorada de él . No es más que mi amigo, y para no mencionar mi maestro. Tiene que haber reglas en contra de eso. Pero él es guapo. No, él es mi maestro, y capitán de mi equipo. No me puede gustar. Pero realmente lo quiero! Realmente lo quiero a Alex! No sé sobre el amor, pero realmente lo quiero. ¿Pero si él no me quiere?"</p><p>"Why don't you ask him yourself?"</p><p>Alex's voice from the door stopped me in my tracks, my heart dropping to my feet. The blood rushed to my cheeks, leaving me glowing like a light bulb. "What are you doing here?" I managed to squeak out, finally turning to look at him.</p><p>And, oh, did he look good. He was in jeans and his leather jacket over a white tee shirt, one that had black grease streaked across the front. He must have been working on his motorcycle, said the tiny part of my brain still capable of functioning, but most of me was focused on screaming, Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!</p><p>And then he grinned, making those stupid flamingos take flight again. "It's Sunday. I always practice in here on Sunday afternoons."</p><p>"Oh, oh, yeah, okay. Um, I'll just leave so you can, um," I mumbled, looking around frantically for my coat. When I spotted it, I inwardly groaned. It was lying inconspicuously on the ground, at Alex's feet. I looked up to see him rather amused.</p><p>"Why don't you ask me that question you were just asking yourself?"</p><p>"What question?" I asked stupidly, heart pounding so loudly I was sure he'd hear it across the bunker.</p><p>Alex took several long strides, until he was directly in front of me. "The one where you were wondering if I liked you back," he said softly, looking directly into my eyes.</p><p>This time, the blood drained from my face, causing me to feel rather lightheaded. "No," I gasped, backing up from him. "No, that was in Spanish. How did you know what I said?"</p><p>"I did tell you I took Spanish in school," he answered, shrugging like I should have already known this.</p><p>"Taking Spanish in school means you can ask someone how they're doing!" I squawked, backing up more. He matched every step I took, keeping the same distance between us. "Not understanding everything I'm saying! How much did you hear?" I demanded, as I felt the wall behind me.</p><p>"Um, I think most of it," he replied.</p><p>I closed my eyes, and a humiliated tear squeezed out. "I'll just go, then," I said quietly, trying to collect myself.</p><p>"Why don't you just ask me that question first?" Alex's hand on my cheek caused my eyes to fly open. He was so much closer than I'd realized, amusement now gone from his face. Instead, I couldn't quite read his expression, though it did give me a tiny bit of hope. But not enough to voice the question he wanted me to ask. I shook my head slightly, and he smiled, just as slightly, before pressing his lips to mine.</p><p>The kiss was soft, tentative, almost over before it began, but it happened. Alex rested his forehead on mine, his hand moving to the back of my neck. "Does that answer your question, Stell?"</p><p>The fact that he had kissed me suddenly filled me with more flirtatious courage than I ever knew I had. "I don't really think so," I replied, smirking up at him.</p><p>Alex laughed disbelievingly. "I guess I'll just have to try a little harder to convince you, then."</p><p>This time, his kiss was much longer, and deeper. He pulled me to him, angling my head up towards him and wrapping his other arm around my waist. I responded, stretching up on tiptoes to accommodate his height. His shirt found itself clenched in my hands as I tried to get that much closer to him.</p><p>I was lightheaded again, but this time, I didn't care. But just as my lungs started screaming at me for oxygen, Alex pulled back. "Damn, you're amazing," he panted in awe, then kissed me again.</p><p>We spent hours in the bunker, and not all of it was spent kissing. At one point, we were sitting on the floor, with me between his legs, and Alex suddenly grabbed his previously discarded jacket. "I can't let you get cold," he said, as he wrapped me in it. Then he laughed. "I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I saw you."</p><p>"I was wearing this jacket," I added, grinning up at him. "And you gave me the oddest look. I almost thought you were mad at me for wearing it."</p><p>"I was definitely not mad. I was trying not to gape at you, since all I could think was 'Damn, she looks good in my jacket'."</p><p>"You did not!"</p><p>"I did," he protested, nuzzling his nose in my hair. "You're beautiful, Stella," he whispered, and I shivered, feeling every syllable he made as his lips brushed my ear. "I'm so glad you came to the school." Then he pressed a kiss directly below my ear, causing another shiver.</p><p>But his words brought me back to earth, just a bit. "We probably shouldn't be doing this," I whispered, making him pause in his attentions to my neck.</p><p>"Would you like me to stop?" he asked, his lips just skimming my skin as he spoke.</p><p>"Oh, la Virgen, no," I retorted, and he kissed my neck again. Which made it harder to continue. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be doing this."</p><p>Alex straightened so he could look me in the eye. "Is that what you want? Do you want me to stop? Because if that's what you want, I will stop right now. It'll be the hardest thing I'll ever do, especially now that I've had a taste of you, but I will stop. If you want me to, Stella."</p><p>I smiled, bringing my hand to his cheek. "No, I just think- Alex, you're my teacher. There's got to be some rules about that."</p><p>He sighed, letting his head fall to the wall behind him. "There is," he agreed. "Teachers aren't supposed to be 'romantically involved' with their students." He did a remarkable impersonation of Charles as he said it.</p><p>"Then we probably shouldn't be doing this," I told him. "At least until I graduate."</p><p>"But that's four months from now," he whined, tightening his arms around me.</p><p>"I know," I said, tucking my head under his chin. "And I don't wait that long, either. But I also don't want to get you in trouble with Charles, or even get Charles and the school in trouble."</p><p>Alex sighed, then dropped a kiss onto my forehead. "Of course I had to fall for a good girl," he grumbled good-naturedly, bringing us both to our feet. "Can I at least punch any guy who looks at you?"</p><p>"No!" I laughed, then stopped. "Who looks at me?"</p><p>"Every guy at this school besides Charles, Hank, and Sean," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Charles is still in love with Moira, Hank is torn between Ra- Hank has feelings for someone else, and Sean knows I would kill him if he tried anything with you."</p><p>"Are you sure?" There was no possible way that that many guys found me attractive. I was a midget, and chubby. I could have understood if he was talking about Claire, but me? No way.</p><p>"Stella, you're gorgeous, and every guy here can see that. Now, we should probably leave before I decide I can't wait four months without kissing you again." Alex collected my coat and waited while I took his off, before helping me put mine on, even buttoning it up for me. "Nope, can't do it," he announced, dropping his jacket and pulling me into his arms. "One more for the road." And then he kissed me breathless, one last time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Also, here's the translation for Stella's rant, which was courtesy of Google translate and my native Spanish-speaking roommate: I'm not in love with him. He's just my friend, not to mention my teacher. There must be rules against that. But he really is handsome. No, he's my teacher, and my team captain. I can't like him. But I really like him! I really like Alex! I don't know about love, but I really like him. But what if he doesn't like me?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once I made it back to the dorm room, Claire looked up expectantly, then frowned when she saw me, before looking back to her essay. "Could you look over this for me?" she asked, handing me her notebook. "You understand what I'm trying to say even when I don't know how to say it."</p><p>I took it, glad for the distraction. After all, if I was editing her essay, I wasn't thinking about how slowly the next four months would go. Hopefully.</p><p>Training Monday morning was awkward, since all I could think of was how Alex had kissed me against that wall of the bunker, or held me in that corner. I was pretty sure that he was thinking the same, but we made it work.</p><p>The rest of the week followed in basically the same awkward pattern. I tried avoiding his gaze any time we were in the same room, but really didn't manage it. Every time, our eyes would lock, he would wink, though a bit sadly, and I would blush a little. But thankfully, I was fairly sure no one else noticed.</p><p>Sunday afternoon found us girls back in the dorm room working on homework. After reading the same passage of Paradise Lost five times and not getting anything from it, I gave up trying. I idly played with my tarot cards again, something that was apparently becoming a habit for me.</p><p>"Stell, you're killing me," Claire sighed. "I'm drowning again."</p><p>"Sorry. I'll go for a walk," I told her, grabbing my coat.</p><p>"What are ya talkin' about?" Genni asked, sounding confused. But that may also have been because she was trying to study for a French exam.</p><p>I didn't bother to stay and listen to hear Claire's answer. Instead, I went on a walk. It wasn't a surprise when I found myself in the bunker, flinging energy around to try and release some of the tension in me.</p><p>"You're going to be the death of me," a voice behind me groaned.</p><p>I whirled around to see Alex leaning against the door jamb. "What are you- Oh, it's Sunday afternoon, isn't it." It was more of an realization than a question.</p><p>"Yes, it is." He walked toward me slowly. "So what are we gonna do here?"</p><p>"I'll go," I replied, but didn't move. "It was your place first, after all."</p><p>"I like to think of it as our place." At this point, Alex was directly in front of me, achingly close. We stared at each other for a long moment, and then I was in his arms.</p><p>Looking back later, I could never be quite sure which of us moved first, though it may have been both of us in tandem. But at the time, all I was aware of was Alex. His arms around me, pulling me closer. His scent, that intoxicating blend of leather, motor oil, and ozone, surrounding me and filling my head. And his lips on mine, hungry, needy.</p><p>"I can't do it, Stell," he whispered to me after we finally pulled apart for air. "This is killing me. I can't stay away from you. Well, I might be able to, but I don't want to."</p><p>"I know," I sighed, rising on tiptoes to kiss him again. "I don't want to, either. I want this, right now, and all the time."</p><p>His answering smile was gorgeous. He ducked down, kissing me deeply, and I could feel his smile as we kissed. "You don't know how happy that makes me," he said, spinning me around.</p><p>"Probably about as happy as it makes me," I laughed, then sobered a bit. "But we're going to have to be really discreet, so you don't get into trouble."</p><p>"Stell, you're talking to the leader of an underground vigilante group. I think I can do discreet." Alex was rather confident, but I was still a bit anxious. "Don't worry. We already spend a lot of time together by ourselves. Nobody's going to be suspicious."</p><p>"And it's only for four more months," I added.</p><p>"Three months, three weeks, and five days," he corrected, before kissing me again.</p><p>…</p><p>Walking back into my dorm room an hour or so later, I couldn't have hid the grin on my face if I'd even tried. Claire took one look at me and let out a whoop. "You and Alex are finally together, aren't you?"</p><p>I hurried to close the door. "How did you know?" I demanded. After all, I'd made sure that I wasn't terribly disheveled before I left the bunker. I'd even rebraided my hair to try to avoid suspicion.</p><p>"You're exuding happiness," she replied dryly. "With just a touch of guilt. Last Sunday was happiness overshadowed by massive guilt and angst. And over the last week, you've been mostly miserable. So clearly, you kissed Alex last week, but decided, for whatever reason, that you shouldn't date. This time, you kissed, and you're together."</p><p>I gaped at her. "I don't know how you did that, but you got it spot on."</p><p>"I'm just that good," she shrugged nonchalantly, but I could see the grin creeping in.</p><p>At that, I realized all she'd said. "You set me up!" I accused. "You sent me out of the room knowing where I would go and that Alex would be in the bunker then. You did all this!" I was panicking, wondering what else she had manipulated in a twisted attempt to help me.</p><p>"Wow, Stell," she said, standing up and coming to stand in front of me. "I did send you to the bunker both times, but only because I knew how both you and Alex feel about each other. I would never play games with your feelings like that. I care about you too much, and besides, that's a terrible thing to do. I would never do that to you, I swear. Alex lo- really cares about you. I didn't manufacture that, only the setting."</p><p>My breathing calmed, and so did my thinking. "I know you wouldn't do that, I was just-"</p><p>"Overthinking?" Claire asked with a small smile.</p><p>"Yes," I sighed. "I just- Good things haven't really happened to me in my life, and I guess I can't help but subconsciously look for holes in anything good."</p><p>"You've got me now," she grinned. "And if Alex had been wanting to play with your emotions or mess with you in any way, he would have suddenly found himself intensely attracted to, say, a squirrel, or maybe Sean. Not really sure which would have been more embarrassing for him."</p><p>Laughing, I threw my arms around her. "I'm so glad I've got you," I told her hair. Her only response was to hug me tighter.</p><p>"What's goin' on?" Genni's confused voice from the door made us pull apart. Claire then darted over, shut the door, and tugged Genni over to me.</p><p>"Stella's got a boyfriend!" she squealed.</p><p>"Ya're finally datin' Alex?" Genni asked with wide eyes.</p><p>I couldn't help it. The smile I was already wearing grew. "Yes, but you two can't say anything! He's not supposed to date students, so we've got to keep it a secret until I graduate."</p><p>"How romantic!" Genni gushed. "Ya have to tell us everythin'!"</p><p>So I happily spent the hour left before dinner telling them everything that happened between Alex and me. And they promised to help in arranging our assignations.</p><p>…</p><p>Alex and I found hidden moments to spend together, like how our private training sessions mostly turned into time to spend kissing. At first, he did feel bad about it, "After all, I am supposed to be making sure you can handle yourself on a mission," but he always overcame the guilt after a few kisses. But during our team sessions, he was just as hard on me as everyone else. And when I teased him later about it, he shrugged sheepishly. "I can't treat you differently, otherwise we might get caught."</p><p>The first half of Spring Semester passed in a happy blur. I had two best friends who would do anything for me, an utterly wonderful boyfriend, and a real home. It seemed that nothing could go wrong.</p><p>…</p><p>"Claire, Stella, it looks like the two of you have received some rather important mail," Charles said, wheeling his way into the dining room at dinner one early April evening. "From Columbia," he added, holding up two envelopes with a smile.</p><p>"They're big envelopes," Genni observed. "Definitely not denials."</p><p>At her words, Claire leapt out of her seat and shot toward Charles, unconsciously pushing people out of her way. I followed much more slowly, slightly in a daze, not quite believing that it was real. "Hurry up, Stell," Claire urged. "We have to open them together."</p><p>Charles handed me my envelope, pride shining in his eyes. Claire whacked me with hers. "This is it. Are you ready?" she asked, shaking as much as I was with anticipation.</p><p>I nodded, not trusting my voice at that particular moment, and we both ripped into the letters. Scanning the first lines, I let out a little squeal. "I got in!" I yelled, with Claire echoing me. She threw her arms around me, pulling me into an impromptu celebratory dance. "We did it!" she started to chant.</p><p>We were swarmed by our friends congratulating us, and Charles declared the event to need ice cream. The whole school seemed pleased for us, excepting, of course, Veronica and Marianne, who turned up their noses. "Ice cream's going to make you all fat one of these days," Veronica told us before walking out, but for once, I was too happy to care.</p><p>But I couldn't help but notice one person who didn't seem particularly happy for me. Oh, sure, Alex congratulated us both, saying he was proud as team captain and our teacher, but his smiles didn't reach his eyes. And I couldn't help noticing he left the spontaneous party rather early.</p><p>I waited for half an hour before deciding it had been long enough to avoid suspicion. Claire took my acceptance letter and gave my hand a squeeze. "It'll be alright," she whispered, then turned and commanded the room's attention like only she could, giving me the perfect opening to slip out.</p><p>The bunker door was mostly closed when I arrived, but I could hear Alex throwing energy around in the way he only ever did when he was upset. That made me pause. Why wasn't he happy for me? Was he somehow jealous that I'd been accepted?</p><p>"I know you're out there, Stell," I heard him call wearily. "You might as well come in."</p><p>Drawing a deep breath, I opened the door and walked in, closing it carefully behind me. "Hey," I said quietly, a bit unsure how to start this conversation.</p><p>"Hey," he said, just as quietly, looking intently at me for a moment. Then, breaking off suddenly, he said, "Don't you have a party to get back to? After all, you are one of the guests of honor."</p><p>"Well, I sort of wanted my boyfriend to be there," I answered, more than a little annoyed now. Why was he being like this?</p><p>"It's not like I could kiss you or anything, not in front of everyone else," he retorted, sounding more bitter than I'd ever heard him.</p><p>And that hurt. "It was your idea to do it this way," I reminded angrily, lashing out in anyway I could. "I wanted to wait until summer, until I graduated."</p><p>"Great, then we'd have even less time together!" Alex yelled back, then instantly dropped his eyes.</p><p>"Is that why you're mad?" I asked incredulously. "Because I'm going to college?"</p><p>He huffed out a laugh, turning from me. "No, Stell, I'm not mad you're going to college. I'm not mad at all."</p><p>"Then what's wrong?" I demanded. "Why are you upset?"</p><p>"Because I'm going to lose you!" he exploded, whirling around to come stand in front of me. He cradled my face with more tenderness than I'd ever experienced in my life. "I'm going to lose you, and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he added in a whisper.</p><p>Understanding dropped on me like a box of rocks. "You're not going to lose me," I said, stepping closer to wrap my arms around his waist.</p><p>"That's what you say now," Alex said, a mirthless smile twisting his lips. "But there'll be so many other guys there, and they'll be there, instead of here, and-"</p><p>"And you'll be here, surrounded by all these students," I interrupted, trying to hold my grin in. "Who knows which one might pull your attention from me? After all, you do happen to like your students."</p><p>"That's not even funny," he growled, wrapping his arms around me to give him better access to my very ticklish ribs. "You'd better know that you're the only student I like," he added, after rendering me breathless from his torture.</p><p>I kissed him quickly. "I do," I assured. "But do you know why I picked Columbia? Out of all the schools I could have attended, why I picked this one?" Alex shrugged, his despondent demeanor back. "I picked Columbia because it's less than an hour away from here. Less than an hour away from you, my rather attractive boyfriend, who just happens to have a motorcycle. A motorcycle he could use to come visit me on the weekends."</p><p>A slow smile crept across his face. "You really picked it so we can still see each other?"</p><p>"There were a few other factors, of course. Columbia is a really good school, and I wanted to be close to still be a part of the team, but yes," I answered. "I mostly wanted to be close to you."</p><p>Alex kissed me, once again stealing my breath away. "I love you," he whispered, his lips brushing mine with every syllable.</p><p>I pulled back to stare at him. My gaze flitted across his face, studying every inch, searching for some indication that he might not be telling the truth. But he kept still, letting me examine him to my heart's content. And that's when I knew. "Te amo, Alex," I whispered back.</p><p>The grin that split his face was beautiful, for the point three seconds I got to see it. And then Alex was kissing me again, pushing me gently against the wall. His lips were everywhere, my lips, my neck, my jaw, and everywhere his lips touched, my skin tingled. It was like the buzz of my power, but so much better.</p><p>We might have spent the night kissing, had it not been for Charles's voice echoing in our heads. "Team, please meet in the War Room."</p><p>Alex groaned, pulling back to stand straight. "I'm gonna kill Erik," he muttered. "Why did he have to chose tonight to attack something?"</p><p>I kissed him quickly. "Come on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to kissing."</p><p>"I love the way you think," he grinned, taking my hand. "And it's dark enough out by now that we can hold hands until we get back to the house."</p><p>"You've got to appreciate the small things," I agreed, feeling far happier than I should be considering the fact that we were most probably about to go on another mission. But I couldn't help it. It was the best day of my life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"The Brotherhood is planning another attack on the President," Charles told us all, once everyone had made it to the War Room. His voice sounded anxious, as well as tired.</p><p>"You'd think they would try a new target," Sean muttered. "After all, this is their third try on the President."</p><p>"Yes, well, apparently Eri- Magneto has a specific goal in mind, something he needs the President for. I'm rather afraid of what he plans on doing to President Johnson, or rather, what he wants to force him to do."</p><p>"Whatever it is, we'll stop him," Hank said, quiet determination resounding in his voice.</p><p>"Yes, that is why I called you together," Charles replied with a slight smile. "The Brotherhood plans on attacking a diplomatic meeting with the ambassador from Spain. I'm not sure if the ambassador is a target as well, but you will need to keep a good eye on all parties there. Is everyone clear on their objective?"</p><p>All nodded in agreement as we mentally settled into what Claire called "battle mode". That mindset where we let frivolous details go and focused only on what really mattered, like the teammate next to you and the objective. Nothing else was important. It didn't matter that Claire had argued with Connor just that morning, since they were now Gemini and Pollux, or that Rachel had rejected Sean for the fourth time that semester, since Sprite and Banshee had a surprisingly fantastic working relationship. It might have had something to do with being the only members of the team who could fly.</p><p>Charles gave us a few more words of encouragement, then we were all heading out the door for our uniforms. I went straight to the bunker, since that's where I had started leaving mine. It gave me and Alex more time together if I didn't have to take it all the way back to my room after our individual sessions. And it meant that now, Alex and I were there for a few more minutes before the rest of the team arrived.</p><p>"Be careful today, Stell," he said softly, his fingers reaching out to entwine with mine for a moment. I nodded, giving him a confident grin, but it fell a bit when he didn't return it. "I mean it. I'm sure Magneto has made Grizz come in for this, which means he'll be gunning for you specifically. Honestly, if I thought I could do it, I would make you stay here in this one. And not because I don't think you can handle it," he hurried to cut off my offended response. "I'm just really worried for you. He's obsessed with you, and there's no telling what he might do to get to you. And I don't want you hurt."</p><p>Cupping his cheek with my hand, I stroked the stubble on his chin. "I'll be fine," was my response. "After all, I've got you to watch my back."</p><p>"Absolutely," he growled, then kissed me fiercely.</p><p>We kissed for several long seconds, but a cough pulled us apart to see Claire, Genni, Hank, and Sean, the cougher. Their expressions were a mixture of embarrassment at having caught us in such a private moment, amusement at our mortified reactions, and delight at us being together. No one was surprised, but Hank did seem to have some other emotion, as well. Was it wistful? "You two should put some distance between you," Claire said breezily. "After all, it could have been someone who didn't know your secret who came in first." She then strutted confidently to the Blackbird, excellently hiding her hurt. But I knew her well enough to see it lurking in the back there.</p><p>"Hank'll come around," I whispered as I settled into my seat next to her. "Just be patient a little longer."</p><p>"I think I'm running out of patience," she sighed, eyes lingering on the now blue mutant. Who was studiously focusing on prepping for take off to avoid looking in our direction.</p><p>"He's just got issues from an old flame," Alex unexpectedly told her. "He's never really gotten over her. But give him a little more time and he'll be golden. Hypna, I thought you fixed your uniform already." And then he was off, doing his team leader duties.</p><p>"See?" I hissed to Claire, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "Just be patient a little bit longer."</p><p>"And maybe flirt with someone else," was Genni's surprising addition. "That should make him jealous, and then he'll come running for you."</p><p>"I never suspected someone so small could be so devious," I told her, feeling no small amount of awe.</p><p>She shrugged in faux modesty, but her grin gave her away. "It's the little ones you have to watch out for."</p><p>…</p><p>The ride to Washington was a tumble of emotions, nervousness rivaling anticipation warring dread. Claire pulled out a brush and attacked my hair in what was looking to become a tradition, one that seemed to help both of us. But the closer we got, the more Alex pulled himself into his leader persona. As we were just flying over the White House, he stood up. "Alright, everyone, we'll be landing in just a few minutes. Hypna, can you tell who's all there?"</p><p>Veronica nodded, closing her eyes tightly. Then they suddenly opened in panic. "Beast, we've got to get down there now. It's chaos. They're not going for subtle this time. And it's the whole Brotherhood, Magneto, Mastermind, Grizz, everyone," she said, eyes flicking to me at the mention of the last name.</p><p>Havok tensed for a moment, before turning to Beast. "Get us down," he ordered the pilot. Then, to the rest of us, he continued, "We've fought the whole Brotherhood before. We can do this. Beast and Panther, take out Mastermind, Thornn will probably be nearby for backup, and then help Sphinx and Mad Dog with Grizz. Banshee, Sprite, you've got Azazel, Riptide, and Angel. Castor, you help them. Hypna and Gemini, you take out Emma. You did it last time, Gemini, and with Hypna's help, you should be able to put her down for the count. Viper and Star, protect the President and the ambassador and any other civilians. Tank, you've got Mystique, and Bloody Mary will help. I've got Magneto. Remember, keep all civilians safe, especially the President and the ambassador. The Secret Service might not realize we are trying to help, so be smart, fight like we've trained, and make sure you have each others' backs. Good luck."</p><p>As he spoke those last words, Beast touched down on the White House lawn and we all poured out of the jet, ready for this fight. But so were the Brotherhood. Azazel, Thornn, and Mastermind were waiting for us, and as soon as I stepped onto the grass, I was suddenly transported to a gorgeous sandy beach.</p><p>Confused, I looked around me, but I was alone. Where had my team gone? Where had I gone? I stumbled forward a step, right into the ocean.</p><p>Except I didn't get wet. I took another step, but the waves simply crashed through me, not around me, almost like I wasn't even there. "Mastermind," I realized. "This isn't real."</p><p>Looking around again, I concentrated on the inconsistencies, the waves crashing through me, my footsteps not making any prints, no sound other than my own breathing. No birds, no waves, not even the slight shifting of the sand due to me walking. Once I found one irregularity, the more I was able to find. And the more I found, the more the facade cracked, until I was able to feel someone in my head. "Get out!" I screamed, pushing against the foreign feeling in my mind.</p><p>And there was the White House lawn, Secret Servicemen scattered everywhere. Beast was fighting Emma, mostly slamming her into the ground repeatedly, although it didn't do much to her in her diamond form. Panther was clinging to Azazel, and it looked like she had her claws dug into him as he teleported around the area. And Mastermind was looking at Gemini and me, completely terrified. "That's not going to work on me anymore," I told him, a savage grin on my face as I tugged at his energy.</p><p>Gemini straightened next to me. "I really don't like people in my head," she said conversationally. "Shall we take him out, Star?"</p><p>"Let's," was my all to eager response. I pulled at his energy some more, and Gemini messed with his head, and soon enough, he was rendered unconscious.</p><p>The rest of the team came to, and Havok quickly accessed the situation. "Good job, girls. Now let's go save the President."</p><p>"Again," Banshee mumbled, launching into the air with a screech.</p><p>It quickly became apparent that Havok's earlier plan was not going to work, in part because half of the Brotherhood wasn't anywhere close by. At least not the ones we'd been planning on. "Magneto's been recruiting," Castor said, slamming a mound of dirt into what looked like a man on fire. Once slammed, the fire went out and the man slumped to the ground, knocked out.</p><p>"Star, you get someone in an energy ring, and I'll knock them out," Gemini instructed.</p><p>"Got it. Angel, on my three o'clock," I shouted, not waiting for her reply to encircle the flying mutant in a ball of energy. She shrieked, but couldn't get out. And soon enough, Gemini had her taken care of.</p><p>We went through the lawn, tag teaming any enemy mutant we encountered, as well as any remaining Secret Service who didn't realize we were on the same side. And then a huge hand suddenly wrapped around my throat. "Hello, Princess. I've missed you." Grizz's voice rumbled in my ear as he pulled me closer with his other arm.</p><p>I tried to throw my head back, but this time, he was expecting it. His grip on my neck tightened, his claws piercing my skin. "I'm a quick study," he laughed, burying his face in my neck. "You're not going to take me with the same- Why is Havok's scent all over you?" he snarled, flinging me around to face him. "You belong to me!"</p><p>"I don't belong to anyone!" I yelled back. I yanked on his energy, but he simply growled and tried to pull me closer.</p><p>We were in a stalemate; neither of us could make any headway. I drained his energy, but his feral abilities meant he had superior healing and kept regenerating whatever I took from him. But at least I was able to keep him from attacking me anymore.</p><p>"Get out of my head," he suddenly growled, whipping his head around to glare at Gemini. "You can't affect me like everyone else."</p><p>"No, I sure can't," she replied, sounding surprisingly cheerful. And her voice, and power, lent me enough confidence to make one last push. "But I can sure distract you so Star can take you out."</p><p>Grizz turned back to me, eyes wide, as he realized what my friend had done for me. He roared, pushing back at me, but it was too late. I finally managed to pull enough energy from him to make him drop. Even after he was down, I pulled for a few more seconds, hoping it would be enough to keep him unconscious, at least until the fight was over.</p><p>A blast to our left caught everyone's attention. That particular shade of red had me running before I consciously thought about it. "I've got you, Star," Banshee said, scooping me up to fly over the White House.</p><p>As we cleared the building, we could see Havok fighting Magneto, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Huge chunks of fencing were ripped out, and one of them was wrapped around Havok, who was still managing to fire blasts at the floating megalomaniac to keep him away from a downed Hypna. But even as Banshee and I got closer, I could see the iron fencing wrapping tighter around him.</p><p>"Alex!" The scream ripped itself out of my throat, causing Banshee to falter a bit and almost drop me. But it also meant that Magneto's focus was no longer on my boyfriend, and that was all I needed.</p><p>While still in the air, I pulled at Magneto's energy, putting everything I had into getting him away from Alex. I saw him falter, falling, stumbling as he landed. He sent a few of the railings flying toward us, but between Sean's fancy maneuvering and my manipulating his energy, none of them touched us. I kept pulling as Sean brought us down to the lawn, making the mighty Magneto fall to his knees, then to the ground, unconscious. And I didn't stop there.</p><p>"Stell, stop," Alex rasped nearby. "You'll kill him. You don't want to do that."</p><p>His words broke through the red haze in my mind, and I let go with a jerk. Without another glance at the mutant at my feet, I ran to Alex, terrified by the amount of blood I could see on him. Sean and I struggled with the metal embracing him, but neither of us could do anything to it. And then I saw one of the railings in his side, probably about three inches deep. "Go get Hank and Thomas," I ordered Sean, who nodded and took off. "It'll be okay," I promised softly, unable to do actually do anything to help.</p><p>"What happened to you?" Alex asked, looking at my throat in horror.</p><p>My hand flew up to the small punctures there. "Oh, it's nothing. I took care of it," I said, brushing it off. "Here comes Hank. He'll get you out of this," I added in relief. Alex's look told me we weren't done with that discussion, but I knew it would wait until later, when we were alone.</p><p>Hank made quick work of the fencing around Alex. He then picked him up, much to Alex's dismay, while Thomas went to help Hypna. "Everyone else is in the Blackbird. We've got to go now," he told us, then took off running.</p><p>Sean grinned. "How about another lift, Stell?" Then he grabbed me and flew off before I could even form a reply.</p><p>Claire and Genni once again helped me clean Alex's wounds on the flight home, then we took care of everyone else. Sadly, no one had emerged unscathed this time, though Alex was the worst of us all.</p><p>Once everyone was bandaged, I made my way back to Alex. "So now are you going to tell me how you got those nice claw-shaped wounds on your neck?" he asked me, reaching for my hand and pulling me closer.</p><p>I sighed, really not wanting to have this conversation. "They're from Grizz," I started, confirming his suspicions. "He surprised me, and then he-"</p><p>"He caught your scent on Stella," Genni supplied when I hesitated. "An' he didn' like it."</p><p>Alex's eyes squeezed shut, then he tried to pull his hand out from mine. But there was no way I was going to let him blame himself for this. "Don't you dare pull away from me," I growled. "If I don't get to blame myself for you getting hurt because of Grizz, you don't get to do it, either."</p><p>"But this is because of me, Stell. He hurt you because of me," he said earnestly. "He hurt you because I kissed you."</p><p>"And he hurt you last time because you were saving me," I reminded. "And I am not about to let this psychopath dictate my life. You are not leaving me because of this. I love you, and I'm not about to give you up because of him. Not ever."</p><p>A rather sappy smile took over his face at my words, but Sean, again, ruined the moment. "You guys do realize you're not alone, right?"</p><p>My head snapped up to see our entire team, sans Hank piloting, watching us avidly. "Um, uh, I, we-" I stuttered, blushing profusely.</p><p>"We all know you've been dating. It's really not a secret," Lucy said with a grin.</p><p>"And even if we didn't before, I definitely would have after your performance with Magneto," Veronica added, for once without even a trace of her normal snark. She even sounded like she might have been teasing me. "I mean, after all, you nearly killed him for hurting Alex. Not so subtle, there, Stella."</p><p>"And we all know that your individual sessions have just been excuses to make out," Sean quipped.</p><p>I groaned and buried my head in Alex's chest. "I hate you all," I grumbled, making everyone laugh.</p><p>"Ya know ya love us," Genni sang.</p><p>"And if you don't, I can always make you think you do," Claire added mischievously.</p><p>"And I'd help her," Veronica added.</p><p>"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" I muttered, playfully glaring at them, while cuddling into Alex's uninjured side.</p><p>"We love you, Stell," Sean laughed, then began choking. "Just not as much as Alex, of course." I didn't have to see Alex's face to know he was glaring at his best friend. I smiled and relaxed a bit more, knowing that all the people I cared about were safe, even after our mission.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sean and I helped Alex get off the jet once we'd landed, leading the way to the med bay. "Now that everyone knows we're dating, I can kiss you anytime I want," Alex slurred at me.</p><p>I smiled. "Later. Right now, you're going to the med bay so Hank can make sure I did those stitches correctly, and then you're going to sleep for a very long time."</p><p>I knew Alex was in bad shape when he didn't even argue. Though he did try to argue with Hank the next morning, angling for an early release, in which he proved entirely unsuccessful. In fact, Hank gave him extra painkillers to knock him out. "You know he wouldn't stay here otherwise," he told me, guiltily defending himself. "And then he would try to do too much and end up making it worse."</p><p>"I'm not blaming you," I promised. "I want him back in one piece as soon as possible, and if that means that he has to spend some time unconscious, then I'm all for it. Keep up the good work, doctor."</p><p>Alex was finally released to teach Monday morning, though with strict instructions to take it easy. And then on Tuesday evening, he was only allowed to our team practice if he promised to supervise from a chair. He accepted, crankily, and then proceeded to take his frustration with the situation out on all of us.</p><p>"Gemini, you've got to work on your control! And Banshee, I want to see tighter turns, none of this slowly gliding around like you've been doing! Hypna, you were supposed to be practicing on Tank, not Castor!"</p><p>"How much longer is he going to be like this?" Claire gasped at me.</p><p>"For as long as Hank's got him on restricted action," I sighed, wiping the sweat from my eyes.</p><p>After practice, Alex called out to me as we were all leaving. "Grizz is back," he warned softly, "and it's all Hank and Charles can do to keep him out. Please stay close to the house." His eyes begged me as much as his words did, and suddenly, the tougher-than-usual practice made even more sense.</p><p>"I will, but we've got to figure some way of getting rid of him," I sighed. "I can't stay here at school forever."</p><p>"I know. We'll figure it out, together," he promised.</p><p>"And until then, we'll make sure he doesn't come anywhere close to you," Claire stated emphatically.</p><p>"'Cause we're a team," Sean grinned.</p><p>"We're a family," Genni corrected, wrapping an arm around me tightly. "An' nobody hurts mah family."</p><p>…</p><p>"Stell, have you seen Genni?" At breakfast the next morning, Claire was merely picking at her food, and seeming rather anxious. "I mean, she wasn't in our room when the alarm went off, and that's not like her. At least not without telling us first."</p><p>I hadn't seen her, either, and after a hurried search, we discovered that no one had seen her since the night before. "I've got a bad feeling about this," I muttered, pulling Claire behind me on my way to Charles's office.</p><p>Charles listened to our worries with a matchingly worried look. "I'm afraid she might have gone after Grizz, trying to get him to leave me alone," I ended in a rush.</p><p>"I'm afraid you might be right." Charles closed his eyes in concentration, before they flew open in panic. "Genni led Grizz away from the school. They're about a twenty minute drive away, in the woods right off the Nine."</p><p>He was still speaking as Claire and I turned to leave, determined to get our friend back safely. "I inisist that you take at least Hank and Sean with you," he added, both out loud and mentally. "I cannot, in good conscience, send the two of you out alone against him. They will meet you in the hangar."</p><p>"Don't tell Alex," I said anxiously. "He's not well enough to come."</p><p>"Of course. His injuries haven't healed enough for him to be out in the field yet," Charles agreed. "But I think I will keep the rest of the team on stand-by, just in case."</p><p>"Sounds good. Let's go, Stell," Claire demanded, yanking me along. We ran down the stairs, passing Connor and Veronica on their way up.</p><p>"Where are you two going?" Connor called after us, sounding concerned. He must have seen the worry on our faces, since he never seemed interested in Claire's affairs, otherwise.</p><p>"Genni's gone after Grizz, by herself," Claire tossed back over her shoulder.</p><p>"And we're going to get her back," I added, for once right on her heels.</p><p>"We're coming with you," Veronica stated, causing me to nearly miss the last step. "What?" she snapped at Claire's astonished face. "She's a teammate, and far too tiny to take him on her own."</p><p>No more was said as the four of us raced to the bunker, where Hank and Sean met us in the big van we normally took on field trips. Sean merely raised his eyebrow at our additions, but no one was going to complain about the extra help. "No time for uniforms. Get in," Hank ordered, barely letting Connor climb in the vehicle before taking off.</p><p>"What did she think she was doing, going after Grizz all by herself?" Veronica grumbled. "I mean, sure, she's a feral, but he's so much bigger and stronger than her, not to mention evil."</p><p>"She's trying to keep him away from me," I replied quietly, feeling the guilt in the pit of my stomach. "She knows he's not going to leave me alone unless something changes, so she changed something."</p><p>We were quiet for the rest of the trip, which took less than the twenty minutes Charles had predicted. As soon as we got out of the van, the sounds of fighting told us which way to go. Claire and I shared a quick, panicked glance as we both ran flat out, trying to save our friend, with our teammates all around us.</p><p>The fighting got louder as we went further into the woods, then a horrible yell shook the trees. A moment later, I nearly tripped over Genni and Grizz, the former pounding the latter's head into the ground. "Gen, stop! He's unconscious, Gen. Genni, stop!" I cried, terrified for my friend and her state of mind, but knowing exactly what she was feeling.</p><p>Slowly, my words sank in, and she looked up at me, then back down to the feral underneath her, dropping his head and scrambling away. "Don' come any closer!" she croaked, cringing away from me.</p><p>"Too bad, hon," Claire replied, going to her side. I was right beside her. Genni tried to scuttle away, but we managed to wrap our arms around her. She resisted for a moment, a very brief moment, but her heart wasn't in it. All three of us knew if she had really wanted to get free, nothing Claire or I could have done would have really stopped her. Instead, she dropped her head onto my shoulder, clutching Claire's shirt in one fist, and sobbed.</p><p>I couldn't tell how long we sat there, holding Genni tightly, almost like we were the only things keeping her from irreparably falling to pieces. I could see Hank tying Grizz up and Sean helping him carry the unconscious feral none too gently to the van, and Connor and Veronica hovering awkwardly around us, but I didn't care. All I cared about was this tiny girl in my arms, and what she had done for me.</p><p>Eventually, her sobbings faded out, but it still took her a very long time to really calm down. "He's still alive, righ'?" she asked, face still buried in my neck and shaking like a leaf. "Ah didn' kill 'im?"</p><p>"No, hon, though he will have a very bad headache when he wakes up," Claire assured.</p><p>"Serves him right," Veronica said viciously. "He's evil, and deserves every bad thing possible."</p><p>"He's wanted in Oregon on over ten charges of murder," Hank inserted. "They'll find him neatly tied up and on the front steps of the FBI's office in Salem in the morning."</p><p>"Good. Ah didn' wan' to kill 'im, but he wouldn' leave Stell alone. This way, he'll face justice for at least some a what he's done," Genni said from my neck.</p><p>Awe filled me as I understood just to what extent my friends had gone for me. Genni had been willing to kill Grizz, just to keep me safe. Hank and Charles had worked rather tirelessly to not only keep Grizz out, but to find a way to keep him away from me permanently. "We're family," Claire whispered knowingly.</p><p>"An' we always take care of our own," Genni muttered, still refusing to come out. I simply tightened my arms around my two best friends.</p><p>...</p><p>We did ultimately get Genni in the van, and Hank drove us back home at a considerably slower speed than on the way there. Grizz was still tied up in the back, and I kept a tight grip on his energy levels, making sure he stayed unconscious. I also kept a tight grip on Genni, comforting her as best I could.</p><p>Charles was waiting for us when we pulled back into the bunker, and so was Alex. He really didn't look happy. Now, it could have been just because Genni had gone off on her own, and that was probably a part of it, but I knew him well enough to know it was mostly because of me.</p><p>"Alex is pouting because he got left behind," Sean sang, looking at me. "Why do I get the feeling you asked Charles not to tell him until we got out of here?"</p><p>"He's hurt!" I defended.</p><p>"He's still not going to like it," Hank huffed, putting the van in park. "Good luck, Stell."</p><p>I grumbled something unintelligible, even to me, as we all climbed out. "I'm glad to see you alright, Genni," Charles said somberly. "But I must beg you to never do something like this again."</p><p>"Trust me, Professah, Ah never will," she vowed.</p><p>Charles studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Hank, why don't you take care of Genni's wounds while she tells us about what happened? And we should probably sedate Mr. Grisham before he regains consciousness."</p><p>Alex grunted. "I'll take care of that." Yanking open the back door of the van, he stabbed a needle into Grisham, rather harder than strictly necessary.</p><p>"Will that keep him down? I mean, he is a feral," Connor inquired, sounding more than a little skeptical.</p><p>"It's an elephant tranquilizer," Alex replied shortly.</p><p>"It's what we had to use on Hank after he broke his leg last year. It'll work on Grizz," Sean added with a grin.</p><p>Hank started cleaning Genni's many wounds, and that's when I really appreciated just how much blood was covering my friend. And now me. "That's not your blood, is it, Stell? Or you, Claire?" Alex asked, sounding a bit anxious.</p><p>"No, it's all Genni's," I told him quickly.</p><p>"Or possibly Grizz's," Claire added with a grimace. "I think I need to burn these clothes now, just to be on the safe side."</p><p>"I don't know how you managed it, but you've only got cuts and scrapes, nothing really serious," Hank told Genni, sounding incredulous.</p><p>"Ah'm small an' fast, an' he really underestimated me," she said with a shrug, letting him bandage the largest cut on her arm.</p><p>"Why don't you tell us what happened, Genni? Start at the beginning," Charles prompted.</p><p>Genni nodded. "Well, afta las' night, when Alex told Stell that Grizz was hangin' 'round again, Ah couldn' really think about anythin' else. An' then Ah though' tha' Ah could maybe trick 'im, make 'im think Ah was Stell. So Ah grabbed some a her clothes an' her perfume, sorry, by the way, Stell, an' I snuck out. He caugh' mah scent, an' since it was still dark, I was able to get 'im away from th' school. By the time he caught up ta me, he'd already figured out it was me an' not Stell, but he was rarin' for a fight anyway. So we fought, an' like Ah said, Ah'm small an' fast, an' he didn' think Ah could beat 'im."</p><p>Everyone was quiet throughout her telling. I was sure everyone else was as in awe of her as I was. Connor was the first one to break the silence. "Remind me never to underestimate you again," he said, awe coating every word.</p><p>Genni blushed, hard, probably as a result of her longtime crush on him. "Ah just used what Ah've learned with th' team," she replied bashfully.</p><p>"Well, you've learned so well, and personally, I'm glad to have Grizz out of commission," Alex told her, smiling for the first time.</p><p>"Thank, Cap'n," she shyly grinned.</p><p>"I, too, am proud of all you've learned, and even if you were rather terribly reckless, I'm glad you were able to prevail against Mr. Grisham," Charles told her. "Now, Hank, we should be going. We've got a package to deliver to the FBI, and we have a prospective teacher to interview in Springfield on the way back."</p><p>"Springfield?" Hank questioned. "What could possibly be in Springfield, Oregon?"</p><p>"I'm sure Oregon has a lovely Springfield, but we'll be going to Springfield, Illinois. There's a man who apparently can turn himself into a living metal. I think he would be a lovely Russian teacher," Charles said with a smile. "After all, we do need to add more foreign languages to the curriculum, and since we have to wait for Stella to graduate from university for Spanish, Russian is a good option for now."</p><p>"He's Russian?"</p><p>"Stella's going to teach here?"</p><p>"I'm going to teach here?"</p><p>"Why do we need foreign languages?"</p><p>Charles smiled again. "Yes, he's Russian, and no, he's not a Communist," he said, answering the unspoken question that went with that. "Sean, will you get a room ready for him, please? And I thought it was the next logical step for you, Stella, since you said you wanted to be a teacher and that this was your home. I'm sorry if I assumed, but I thought that was what you wanted. Admittedly, we were interrupted when we were discussing your plans, but I thought that you would want to teach here."</p><p>I was more than a bit shocked, but utterly happy, as well. "I would love to, Charles! And you're right, it's what I want, I just was too… scared, maybe, to ask for it."</p><p>"Then it's settled. Once you've gotten your degree, you can come back and be our Spanish teacher. And we might have you teach some of our younger science classes, as well. But that's something to worry about at a later date. We really must be going now. Hank, if you could move Mr. Grisham to the plane, we'll be off. Oh, and I would like to talk to you, Alex and Stella, once we come back. We have a few things we need to discuss." At that, he wheeled himself up the ramp into the jet, leaving me and Alex both feeling a bit discomfited.</p><p>"Somebody's in trouble," Claire sang, then slung an arm around Genni's shoulders, steering her back towards the house. "Let's get cleaned up, hon. We can have a bonfire and burn all of our clothes later."</p><p>Sean was already gone, ostensibly to get the room ready for our new teacher, but who knew with him, really? Connor and Veronica started to follow my roommates, but stopped when I spoke. "Thank you two for coming."</p><p>"Genni's a teammate, and we don't leave teammates on their own," Connor smirked, and for the first time, I could see the resemblance to Claire, other than just their coloring.</p><p>"Well, thanks, anyway," I replied.</p><p>Veronica nodded, then gave a not so subtle nod to Alex, who was leaving the hangar in the opposite direction. "Good luck with that," she said.</p><p>"I'm going to need it," I sighed, following after Alex.</p><p>I knew where he was headed, the one place either of us went when we were upset. "I don't really want to talk to you right now, Stella," he said, once I got to the bunker.</p><p>He was flinging around energy with far less control than I'd ever seen him, and I was rather worried that he might rip open his stitches. "If that were true, the door would have been closed," I rebutted, slipping inside and closing said door behind me.</p><p>Alex's shoulders dropped, and his energy bolts died down. "Why didn't you tell me, Stell?" he asked quietly, still facing away from me.</p><p>"I didn't want you to possibly get hurt again," I said softly, knowing he wouldn't like that.</p><p>He snorted derisively. "Because I can't take Grizz."</p><p>"Because Magneto almost killed you five days ago!" I argued. "I didn't keep this from you because I thought you were weak, Alex! I wanted to keep you safe!"</p><p>He snorted again, back still to me. "Because you thought I couldn't handle Grizz. It's okay, I get it. And I can't take him. I can't keep you safe from him. I get that. It's fine."</p><p>I was thrown. I had no idea he felt like that. "Alex," I started, moving closer to him, "you've held him off every time we've faced him, except for the last time, and you were more than a little busy dealing with Magneto. I don't think you're weak at all. Where is this coming from?"</p><p>"I can't keep you safe. Why would you want to be with me if I can't keep you safe?" Alex exploded, whirling around to face me at last. "Why would you want to love someone who can't keep the people he loves safe?"</p><p>"First off," I answered, getting testy now, "I love you. Okay? I chose to love you. I choose to love you. You are incredible. You're a fantastic leader, you care about everyone around you, you try to make everyone happy. You make me happy. And you are so strong. You've got such an incredible control over your powers that leave me in awe, and a little jealous. You're not weak," I whispered, going to him and putting a hand on his cheek. "What will it take for me to get you to realize that?"</p><p>Alex closed his eyes, leaning into my touch. "I just don't want you to get hurt, and I can't always be there to protect you."</p><p>"That's why you've trained me so I can protect myself," I reminded. "I'm not some damsel in a tower, Alex."</p><p>He managed a weak smile. "I know. I just… I can't lose you, Stell. You're everything to me, and I don't know what I would do without you."</p><p>"You're not going to lose me. I love you, my pretty boy Yanqui," I teased.</p><p>That got a real smile. "And I love you, querida."</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hank and Charles got back that evening, bringing the new teacher with them. "I would like you all to meet Piotr Rasputin," Charles announced proudly to the dining room. "He will be our new Russian teacher, starting in the fall. Please help him to feel welcome here at the school."</p><p>It was sad, but we all stared at the new guy. Simply stared in baffled silence at the man who had to be over six and a half feet tall. Until Joey stood up and said, "Wow. You're really tall."</p><p>Our new teacher, Piotr, smiled and crouched down to be closer to Joey's height, even though he still towered over the seven year old. "Da, I am, but you will be, too, one day."</p><p>"So, Piotr, how tall are you, exactly?" Sean asked, puffing out his chest in a ridiculous attempt to look a bit bigger. He was still probably close to a foot shorter than him, and far less muscled.</p><p>"As tall as I am," he replied, seeming a bit puzzled.</p><p>Claire laughed loudly. "I like you," she said, moving to introduce herself. Genni and I were on her heels, trying to help him feel a bit more comfortable.</p><p>After we introduced ourselves, the rest of the school did so, as well. But I couldn't help noticing that Claire stayed rather close to him the whole evening. It seemed that Genni's idea to make Hank jealous finally had a target.</p><p>After a while of getting Piotr more familiar with all of us, Charles looked at me and Alex. "Could I speak to you two in my office for a moment, please?" Then, he wheeled himself to the elevator without waiting for a reply from either of us. Alex and I shared a brief, mildly panicked look, then followed after him.</p><p>Once in Charles's office, he motioned to the chairs in front of his desk as he settled behind it. And then he stared quite intently at first Alex, and then me. Just when I thought he wasn't going to actually talk, he finally did. "Were you two ever going to tell me that you are dating?"</p><p>And that was exactly what I was afraid he was going to ask about. But I hadn't anticipated the hurt in his voice. "We didn't-"</p><p>"We weren't-" Alex and I spoke at the same time, then looked to each other. I nodded, letting him talk. After all, he had been Charles's friend for much longer than I had.</p><p>"We weren't- Okay, we kind of were keeping it secret, but we didn't want to get you or the school in trouble, since I'm a teacher and Stell's a student. I mean, if you didn't know about it, you couldn't get in trouble for it, right?"</p><p>Charles rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "Plausible deniability. I suppose I should be grateful for your thoughtfulness, but honestly, Alex. Did you really think you could keep something like this from me?"</p><p>"We did for two months," he grumbled, then yelped when I elbowed him.</p><p>"Not helping," I whispered.</p><p>"It's alright, Stella. I've actually known for those two months. I still occasionally have a hard time blocking your thoughts, and Claire and Genni were all but gushing about it mentally for a few days after you started dating. They weren't terribly cautious about who they were thinking it in front of. But I must ask, is there any way you could wait until graduation? It is only two months away, after all." Alex stared hard at him, and he sighed. "I was afraid of that. Now, I know the team knows about the two of you, but please, as the headmaster of this school, I beg of you to practice a bit more discretion in front of the other students. It wouldn't do for a parent to get a letter about a teacher kissing a student, after all."</p><p>"Of course," I replied, sitting up a bit straighter.</p><p>"Of course, Charles. It's not like we make out in front of everyone every other day," Alex said, sarcasm flowing out of him.</p><p>Charles gave him an equally sarcastic reply. "Well, with you, one never can be sure." I laughed, getting a glare from my boyfriend and a smile from our friend. "Now, as your friend, I must say I'm terribly happy for you two. You may have had a bit of a rocky start, but clearly you make each other happy. Congratulations to you both."</p><p>"Thanks, Charles," I said, beaming.</p><p>Suddenly, he had a rather pleased look on his face. "Stella, have you thought more about why you can't see Alex's future?"</p><p>"Not much recently, no," I replied, not very happy about the reminder. Alex took my hand in his, probably needing assurance as much as he was giving it.</p><p>"Well, I may be wrong, but I think the reason that you can't see it is the same as why you can't see your own." I was a bit confused, and a quick glance at Alex told me he was, too. "You can't see Alex's future because he is your future. And being able to see his would be cheating a bit, don't you think?"</p><p>His words penetrated my mind slowly, sort of like I was gradually waking up to the idea. It was a bit like when he had told me he was a telepath, the very first night I'd met him. Somehow, his words seemed to fit in my mind, like they were supposed to be there. Like they were a truth I'd known all along, just needed to be reminded of.</p><p>"It's just a theory, of course," Charles said, a knowing little smile peeking through.</p><p>Alex smirked. "But your theories tend to be pretty on the mark."</p><p>"Well, it's an educated guess," Charles continued modestly. "But I think you'll find that it's probably right."</p><p>We talked a bit more, with several more reminders of what appropriate conduct consisted of, then Charles announced, "Well, I'd better go check on Piotr. Hopefully Sean has gotten his room ready."</p><p>"And hopefully Claire hasn't smothered him too much," I added with a grin.</p><p>"Smothered him?" he questioned.</p><p>"She was looking at him like he was a particularly juicy steak, and she wanted to eat him up," Alex told him.</p><p>"Or, for her, like a big bowl of ice cream. She could scoop him up with a spoon," I clarified.</p><p>"Oh." Charles looked a bit uncomfortable and wheeled himself toward the elevator with a bit of haste. "I had hoped that this would be the only time I'd have to have this sort of conversation with a student and teacher."</p><p>He brushed past me, and his hand touched my arm. Images flickered past my eyes, then settled into one scene. "Now, I know that you are over eighteen, Anna Marie, but you are still a student," a much older Charles said, speaking to a girl whose vibrant red hair was streaked with white, even at her young age. The girl sat on the very same chair I had just vacated, and she was holding the hand of a man with red hair and eyes. He seemed amused at the situation, and she elbowed him in the stomach when he laughed.</p><p>"Stell? Can you hear me, querida?" Alex's voice brought me back from my vision, and I looked up at him. Once again, I was in his arms in Charles's office.</p><p>"Why do I always find myself like this?" I grumbled, pushing myself up.</p><p>"Because you can't help falling for me," he quipped, smirking.</p><p>Charles smiled, as well, then asked, "What did you see, Stella?"</p><p>"I'm afraid your hope of never repeating this conversation is destined to be unfulfilled. Sorry, Charles," I said, far too amused at his disgruntled expression.</p><p>…</p><p>Charles's voice broke through my dreams later that night. "I need all team members to meet in the hangar immediately. Come now."</p><p>I was running out of my dorm room before I even consciously absorbed what he said, and it wasn't until I was following Claire out the front door that I comprehended what it meant. There was a mission, and it was so immediate that we weren't even going to the War Room to strategize first. "I'll brief everyone once we're in the air," Charles informed us, directing us to grab our uniforms from our new lockers and board the jet.</p><p>Alex did a head count after boarding. "Where's Marianne?" he asked Veronica.</p><p>She looked behind her. "She was right behind me," she answered confusedly.</p><p>"I'm right here," Marianne huffed her way onto the jet. "I just stepped on something sharp, since I didn't grab any shoes before running out for this summons."</p><p>Charles studied her for a moment. "Hank, take us up, please," he finally said quietly. "And get to Salem as quickly as you can."</p><p>"Oregon?" Hank questioned warily, flipping the switches to get us into the air.</p><p>Charles sighed. "Yes. Everyone, please change into your uniforms, then I will explain what's going on."</p><p>I caught Alex's eye, hoping he would have a clue as to what was going on, but he shook his head subtly. So I joined my teammates in awkwardly pulling on my uniform in the crowded area, then settled into a seat next to Alex, instinctively slipping my hand into his. He gave mine a reassuring squeeze, but I knew it was for himself as much as for me.</p><p>Once we were all seated, Charles started. "I know you all have questions and I shall try to answer them all. But please wait until I'm done explaining before you ask me any." We all nodded, then he sighed again. "I've just received word that the Brotherhood is going to try to free Grizz tonight, and we must stop them. Not only because of the legal ramifications, but because the safety of one of our own depends on him staying incarcerated. Not to mention the safety of everyone else he might come into contact with otherwise." He paused, scrubbing his hands over his face.</p><p>"What is it, Charles?" Claire asked him, but still he hesitated.</p><p>"Who told you this, Charles?" Alex's words were slow, like he was putting pieces together that had been puzzling him for a while.</p><p>Charles look up at this. "I have someone in the Brotherhood, a spy, if you will. It's my sister, Raven, or as most of you know her, Mystique."</p><p>The response was immediate. There were quite a few gasps, a shout of "No!" from Sean. But Hank's was the most noticeable, as he jerked the controls to the jet violently, sending us all crashing into one another.</p><p>He just as quickly corrected, righting the jet with skill. But his grip on the controls was so tight his knuckles were white, and his jaw clenched so hard I was afraid he might break a tooth or ten. Finally, he ground out, "How long?"</p><p>"All along," Charles answered quietly. "As much as I hated it, I knew Erik would quite probably end up hurting others, and Raven wanted to help mitigate some of that pain. So when Erik left after Cuba, she went with him with my full blessing. I can easily find the minds of those I'm closest to, which means she can tell me what the Brotherhood is planning so we can stop them."</p><p>Silence filled the jet as we all tried to process this new information. "I've almost killed her, Charles," Alex finally said, in a pain-filled whisper, not even realizing that he was now crushing my hand.</p><p>Sorrow crossed the older man's face. "I couldn't tell you," he replied, just as quietly, and with just as much pain. "I couldn't risk you treating her differently, or Emma Frost finding the information. It was too big of a risk."</p><p>"Why now? Why tell us now?" Sean asked, but didn't look at Charles. "What changed?"</p><p>"Erik knows that there is a spy. He just doesn't know who. So Raven will come back with us tonight, before he can find out."</p><p>"And kill her," Hank growled. He was clearly angry and hurt, just like the other two. I couldn't comprehend what they were going through, after everything they had been together with Charles. After all, they had been his first students.</p><p>"Yes," Charles said simply. "If Erik finds out that she is the spy, there is a very good chance that he will kill her. So we need to rescue her, as well."</p><p>The rest of the flight was fairly quiet, as we all tried to digest this new information. Finally, when we were about twenty minutes outside of Portland, Alex spoke. "Is there anything you'd like to share with the team, Charles? Anything else, I mean." His tone was polite, but very distant. I knew this was not going to be something that was easily swept under the rug.</p><p>Charles hung his head, but I still saw the flash of pain across his face. "The Brotherhood is expecting Mr. Grisham to be at the FBI offices. They will be very much disappointed, as the building will be completely empty. I was rather worried about the possibility of a rescue attempt and convinced the agents there that it would be a good idea to move him to a more secure location, and to clear everyone out. With that in mind, Hank, will you please head to the offices first? We should see what, or rather, who is there to meet us, then we will make sure Mr. Grisham is still secured."</p><p>Hank complied without comment, causing Charles to sigh once more. No words were spoken until we were about to land. "Who's down there, Hypna?" Alex asked routinely, then shook his head. "Sorry, Charles. Didn't mean to step on your toes."</p><p>"It's alright, Alex. Veronica, why don't you and I both try to see which of the Brotherhood is here, shall we?" Charles asked, and she nodded. Both closed their eyes in concentration, and Veronica bobbed her head slightly, as if she were counting mentally. Then a gasp from her and a groan from him, and both sets of eyes flew open in horror.</p><p>"What? What is it, Charles?" Alex asked urgently, leaning over to grip his friend's hand.</p><p>Charles didn't seem capable of answering, so Veronica did it for him. "It's the entire Brotherhood. And… they've got her," she said quietly.</p><p>"Erik knows," Charles clarified. "He knows about Raven."</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Charles's words hadn't even faded before the Blackbird gave a massive shudder and the lights went out. "Hank?" Charles called out worriedly.</p><p>"It's not me," he replied, wrestling with the controls, but to no avail. "It's got to be Magneto!"</p><p>"Everybody, seat belts off!" Alex ordered. "Better to get banged up from a fall than strangled by your own seat belt." We all did as we were told, and I wasn't the only one to look around in dismay at all the metal surrounding us. We were in a jet, after all.</p><p>"Charles, can you do anything? Veronica?" Hank asked, still trying to gain control again of the jet. We were slowly but steadily descending, despite all of his efforts.</p><p>"Erik is wearing Shaw's helmet. We can't do anything," was the answer.</p><p>Suddenly, Alex grabbed my hand. "Stell, can you do something? Get him to stop somehow, like you did in D.C.?"</p><p>A little overwhelmed, I said, "But what if it makes us crash?"</p><p>"If you can get him off the jet, I can get us down safely," Hank promised. "It might be bumpy, but it'll be better than anything Magneto's got in store for us."</p><p>With that assurance, I closed my eyes. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do anything at this distance, but I had to try. Reaching out with my power, I felt for something reaching back to the jet. A metallic tang filled my senses. It was familiar, cold, bitter, and without thinking, I yanked hard on that thread.</p><p>The lights flickered back on, and a cheer filled the jet as Hank maneuvered us toward the ground. I kept a tight hold over Magneto, and the trees on the ground in the outskirts of Portland were getting bigger, closer, even in the darkness. And then they disappeared, as did my teammates, replaced by a cold, snowy mountaintop. "That's not going to work this time, Mastermind," I growled, stomping down hard. Cracks in the illusion rippled outward, causing it to shatter.</p><p>Instantly, I came back to myself, just as Hank was trying to minimize the crash in the crash landing of the jet. Alex had wrapped one arm around me while clinging to the strap above him. I trusted him to keep hold of me, so I went back after Mastermind, tugging at his particular energy. It felt slimy, dark, like something that hid under rocks. It was disgusting, and I didn't want it in me, but I didn't want it in him even more, so I pulled harder. I pulled until I felt him lose consciousness, then pulled a bit more for good measure. I really wanted him out of commission for the fight that was coming.</p><p>Just as I released Mastermind, I felt someone else in my head. "Hm, you're a bit of a pain, aren't you, honey?" the sickly sweet voice said, then a stabbing, tearing pain in my head exploded.</p><p>The pain took over my whole being. I was the pain. I didn't exist outside of this realm of agony. Every molecule of my being was on fire. And it was never ending.</p><p>Until, with a piercing scream in my head, it did end. "Nobody hurts my best friend," Claire panted elatedly next to where I was lying in Alex's arms.</p><p>"Nobody hurts my teammate," Veronica said, looking equally drained, but just as triumphant.</p><p>"Are you alright, Stell?" Alex asked, looking over me in worry.</p><p>Mentally checking myself, I nodded. "Yeah, I feel fine. How?"</p><p>"Emma was stopped before she could do any real damage," Charles explained. "But, unfortunately, the fight is far from over." He grimly wheeled himself toward the ramp, pushed the button to lower it, then wheeled himself down. We quickly hurried to follow him, spreading ourselves out on either side of him to face the Brotherhood.</p><p>Mist drifted around us in the early morning light. "Nice to see you, Charles," came the deceptively cool voice of Magneto. His words were a bit contradicted by the fact that he had a metal chain wrapped around Charles's sister's throat, while surrounded by some of the worst scum on the earth. Though two of them were out cold, I noted with satisfaction.</p><p>"Let Raven go, Erik," Charles demanded. "This is between the two of us. Let her go, and we can settle this between us."</p><p>"But this isn't just between us anymore, Charles. You're the one who sent Baby Sister as a spy into the enemy camp. You're the one who keeps sending your little band of X-Men to stop me. So no, Charles, this isn't between just the two of us. You've involved them all."</p><p>"How did you find out that Raven was a spy?" Alex asked, trying to take some of the attention off Charles.</p><p>Magneto smiled, the kind that showed all his teeth. The kind that sent ice down my spine. "Because I have my own spy." He held his hand out to Veronica.</p><p>Who promptly blanched and stuttered out, "I'm- I'm not a spy!"</p><p>"Of course not, you idiot," Marianne snapped. She pushed past her now former best friend to join the Brotherhood, giving her perfect red curls a toss as she smirked. "You could never be a spy. You've got to have brains to do it, after all."</p><p>Her words seemed to break the horrified, frozen silence that had formed over my team. Nearly as one, we rushed forward, going for maximum damage to whoever we could reach. The Brotherhood did the same, and the result was terrible.</p><p>The Brotherhood was even bigger than it had been at the White House, even with the few arrests that had taken place there. Magneto had apparently been recruiting, which meant that we didn't know who the new players were or their abilities. But it also gave us an advantage, since we were used to working as a team. Alex, Hank, and Sean were brilliant, working together seamlessly against Riptide and Azazel, while also guarding Charles's back as he fought with Magneto. Genni and James were tag teaming the one new feral, who was no match for my friends. Rachel, who was surprisingly strong, especially for her tiny size, would pluck an opponent from the ground, and Connor would then slam them into something hard, like the ground, or a tree. Or occasionally, another one of the Brotherhood. Daniel and Thomas were doing a fantastic job of setting people up for Lucy, who would then use her venom to knock the poor soul unconscious.</p><p>Claire and Veronica were doing basically the same for me. They would keep someone subdued, then I would drain them of energy, knocking them out. Soon enough, we were surrounded by a ring of unconscious people. I'd started out the fight with the power that I'd drained from Magneto and Mastermind, in addition to my own, and I could feel all that energy thrumming under my skin. And with every opponent that I took out with Claire and Veronica, more and more energy zinged through my veins, until I thought I might explode from it all. "Now, Stell!" Claire yelled, tackling Genni down to the ground.</p><p>I held the energy as long as I could, to give my teammates a chance to get down, but it was only a few seconds. And then I released that energy in one huge fireball, as well as my hold on consciousness.</p><p>…</p><p>"Stell, querida, you really need to stop doing this to me." Once again, Alex's voice brought me back to consciousness. I could feel his arms around me, so, not caring who was around or where we were, I cuddled in closer to him. I'd never felt so utterly weak before, and I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. Preferably in his arms.</p><p>"Stell, ya gotta wake up, hon. A' least ta let Alex know ya're alrigh'," Genni said, sounding very worried.</p><p>"We all need to see those pretty browns of yours," Claire added. She was hiding it, but I knew her well enough to tell she was concerned, as well.</p><p>My friends were the one thing that I cared about more than sleep, so I pried my eyes open to see them all staring anxiously at me. Well, everyone but Hank, who was busy flying us home, though he did glance over his shoulder repeatedly. I was seated in Alex's lap, with his arms still around me, so I closed my eyes again and nestled my head further against his throat. "What happened?"</p><p>Claire laughed in relief. "Well, when you went off, Magneto summoned his most loyal to him and Azazel teleported them all out just in time."</p><p>"Did I hurt anyone?"</p><p>Someone snorting made me crack my eyes open to see Mystique looking at me in amusement. "You let out a fireball like that and then wonder if someone got hurt? It's a bit late for that."</p><p>"Raven!" Charles admonished.</p><p>"No, Stell, you didn't hurt anyone," Alex assured me, but even without seeing his face, I could tell he was glaring at Mystique. "There are some trees on fire, and quite a few of the Brotherhood unconscious, but that's it."</p><p>"Your fireball didn't hurt any of us that it touched, Stella," Connor said. "And the only thing it did to the Brotherhood members was knock them out. It's almost like…"</p><p>"Like it knew who was a threat to you, like it was a part of you," Claire finished.</p><p>"Even unconscious, you still manage to be incredibly in control of your powers. I don't think you ever have to worry about losing control again," Charles told me with a knowing look.</p><p>I felt a smile take over my face. "Oh good. Goodnight." And then I proceeded to sleep the rest of the flight home.</p><p>…</p><p>Over the next few days, I saw a different side of Claire. Instead of the sniping that had always been a hallmark of her conversations with Veronica, she now treated her with kindness and even gentleness. In fact, on Friday, she offered to let Veronica move in to our room. "There's plenty of space still, and it's better than being in your old one," she pointed out, then belatedly looked to Genni and me for permission.</p><p>I laughed, and Genni nodded. "Definitely. An' tha' way, neither a us will be alone next year when these two leave us," she said, gesturing to Claire and me with a fake glare.</p><p>Veronica looked torn for a moment, before giving in. "Can we burn all of her things?" she asked, and we all knew exactly who her was.</p><p>"We still need to burn all the clothes from dealing with Grizz, so why not make it a bonfire?" I suggested, and the girls agreed enthusiastically.</p><p>Our bonfire ended up becoming a school event, after I enlisted Alex and Sean to get the wood for us. They then recruited Hank and Piotr to help carry out all of Marianne's belongings, as well as move Veronica's into our room, and Rachel promised goodies for us all. Charles just shook his head, though he promised he would attend, so long as there were no effigies to be burnt. We grumbingly accepted his terms.</p><p>Connor brought his record player outside that night, so we spent the evening dancing, eating, roasting marshmallows, and just generally allowing ourselves to be the young people we quite often forgot we were. Alex, Sean, and Hank hung around us girls, though not too close, since there were still the younger students around. And Veronica stuck with us, as well, generally avoiding her boyfriend. Until they disappeared for a while, before coming back to the group separately. "We broke up," she said simply, answering our questioning looks. "I'll tell you later."</p><p>Eventually, as Charles had insisted on keeping the curfew for the younger students, those of us left around the bonfire were those of us who made up the team. And that was when we finally burned Bloody Mary and Grizz out of our lives. "I just don't understand how she could do it," Veronica said, tears streaming down her face contradicting the ferocity that she threw things into the fire with. "How she could betray us like that."</p><p>"She's Emma Frost's niece," Mystique answered. "She came to the school to be a spy."</p><p>"And you didn't think to warn Charles of that little tidbit?" Sean snapped.</p><p>"Hey, I didn't find out until I had a chain wrapped around my neck, so I'm sorry I couldn't be more of a help than that," she snarked back. "It's not like I was risking my life or anything."</p><p>A bit more bickering occurred before Mystique stalked off in a huff. Hank gave Sean a reproachful look, then followed her. Claire deflated a bit at that, but Veronica put her arm around her.</p><p>"I'm sorry I was such a jerk before." Veronica's quiet words were only meant for Claire, Genni, and I. "I'm not even really sure why I did it, other than Marianne felt threatened by you, Claire. And she was my best friend, so of course I went along with it. I'm not even sure why she did it, but she was always pushing me to be that girl, the one who was popular, and had the right boyfriend, and wore the right clothes. I don't even like clothes that much!"</p><p>Claire gasped dramatically, causing the rest of us to laugh. "If you don't like clothes, I am not sure if we can be friends."</p><p>We talked for a bit more before Genni announced, "Ah can no longer feel mah toes. Why don' we take this inside, ladies?" Agreeing, we took our leave, with me pausing to kiss Alex, since there were no younger students around anymore.</p><p>Once inside, we made a stop in the kitchen for ice cream ("It's necessary," Claire assured), then headed upstairs to our room. But just as we were about to walk past the library doors, we heard Hank's voice, and we froze, instinctively knowing this was something that shouldn't be interrupted. "Ya know, Raven, I don't think the girl I was in love with even existed. And I definitely wasn't the boy you thought you loved. We both saw what we wanted to, regardless of whether it was there or not."</p><p>"At least I'm happy in my own skin," came the hissed response.</p><p>"I am happy," he insisted. "I've got friends who care about me as a person, and not just what my mutation can do for them. I've got a purpose teaching these kids. And I've been approached by the Pentagon to work with some of their top researchers. So I have no idea why I've been pining after you all these years. Clearly, that was a waste of time."</p><p>Hank came out of the doors, but he was so focused on his destination, presumably his lab, that he never saw us. We waited until he was out of sight before starting back on to our room. But Mystique's voice stopped us, once again. "You know it's rude to eavesdrop, right?"</p><p>"You know it's rude to try to hurt someone," Claire spat back viciously. "Especially someone as nice and kind as Hank."</p><p>Mystique smiled cruelly. "Aw, is someone in love? Well, don't worry about little ol' me. I don't want him anymore. He's not worth it."</p><p>Claire nearly attacked her, but Genni and Veronica stopped her. "You're right," I said, and I could feel Claire's astonished glare drilling into my head, before I continued. "He's worth so much more than you could ever hope for. Hank McCoy is one of the most intelligent, genuinely kind people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. And you're too blind, too stupid to realize it. Thankfully, since he would have been stuck with you, otherwise." I then turned around and led my friends back to our room.</p><p>"At least he'll be over her soon," Veronica said, once the door was closed behind us. "For good."</p><p>"An' he can finally allow himself ta fall for ya, Claire," Genni added.</p><p>Claire apparently didn't agree, as she all but threw herself onto her bed, burying her head into her pillow. "No wonder he doesn't like me," she moaned, though it was a bit hard to understand her. "He's been in love with her this whole time, and she can look like whatever she wants to."</p><p>"Which is normally blue and naked," I pointed out. "I don't think that's really Hank's type. He's a bit more conservative than that. Like blonde, tall, and gorgeous."</p><p>It took quite a bit of consoling (and even more ice cream) to get Claire back to normal. "He will love me, someday," she said confidently, an hour later.</p><p>"But you should probably flirt with Piotr more, just to keep him on his toes. After all, a guy can never really know what you're thinking," Veronica informed. I wasn't sure I agreed with that, but the delighted smile on Claire's face stopped me from saying anything.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Life settled down for us after that. Partially because the Brotherhood had lost so many members in our last fight that they had gone underground to lick their wounds. We all knew it couldn't last, but we also agreed to enjoy it while it did.</p><p>Veronica became a thoroughly entrenched member of our little friendship. So much so that Alex teased me about spending more time with the girls than him. He didn't complain anymore after we spent three hours in the bunker together one evening, though.</p><p>But as we got to know her better, it was like she was a completely different person than she had been. She was kind, and incredibly funny, and often didn't care whether she had brushed her hair or not before leaving the room for the day, much to Claire's dismay. And she was constantly finding ways to push Genni and Connor together.</p><p>"But he's yar ex," Genni protested, after Veronica had encouraged her to flirt with Connor.</p><p>"Meh, it wasn't ever serious. It was more something to do," she said off-handedly. We all looked to her in varying shades of shock. "What? He's fine, sure, but that's all it was. Well, and she was always pushing us together, possibly to make you, Claire, annoyed with us enough to not get too suspicious of her spying activities. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why she pushed me to do all the stuff I did."</p><p>"I'm not sure if that's brilliant or utterly stupid," Claire replied.</p><p>"Considering it worked, I'm leaning toward genius," I said reluctantly. "And it clearly worked even with Charles, since he probably dismissed it as petty school dislike."</p><p>"She was a genius. Evil, but a genius," Veronica agreed. "But back to you, Genni. You should definitely go for Connor. You clearly like him, and he really is a good guy." Claire's snort of disagreement was ignored. After all, as his sister, her opinion didn't count in this matter. "And you won't know what might happen if you never try."</p><p>"At least try to talk to him, Gen," I encouraged. "He's never going to like you if he doesn't get to know you."</p><p>After much convincing, she finally agreed. And the rest of us decided that we would find ways to put the two of them together as much as possible.</p><p>…</p><p>Even though Hank was clearly over Mystique, as evidenced by the fact that he could talk to her without changing colors anymore, Claire still flirted with Piotr at every possible opportunity. And as much as I supported the "Let's make Hank jealous" plan, I did worry a bit, since Piotr always seemed so very naive. "Maybe you should tone it down just a little," I said, after watching her plant a kiss on Piotr's cheek before walking away, hips swaying.</p><p>"What? Why?" Claire seemed confused. I simply shook my head.</p><p>"I just don't want Piotr to get hurt-"</p><p>Her laughter cut me off. "Oh, honey, he knows exactly what I'm doing. In fact, he agreed to help me. And as charming as I am, he's really not interested. Though you might have something to worry about."</p><p>"He likes me?"</p><p>Claire laughed again. "No, but he does think your boyfriend is pretty handsome."</p><p>"Alex?"</p><p>"Do you have another boyfriend?"</p><p>"No," I replied slowly. "Okay, well, I'm not terribly worried."</p><p>"I wouldn't be. Alex is wrapped around your little finger. I think you're safe from Piotr."</p><p>"Oh good, since I really like Alex as my boyfriend," I joked.</p><p>Veronica frowned down at her Chemistry homework before asking, "So, Claire, what are you planning on doing to get Hank?"</p><p>Claire sighed. "I don't think I'm going to do anything. The ball's sort of in his court, I think. After all, I've done just about all I can do to show my feelings, outside of kissing him."</p><p>"Not for lack a tryin'," Genni said with a smile.</p><p>"Exactly. So if Hank wants something with me, it's his turn to make a move. By the way, Daddy is buying me an apartment near campus. You'll live with me, right, Stell?" Claire asked, changing the subject so quickly, I was left in the dust.</p><p>"Your- Wait, your dad bought you an apartment? Just for school?" That concept was so far out of my world that I had no frame of reference for something like that. "Even though your family has a penthouse in the city already?"</p><p>"Yes, but we live on the Upper East Side, and Columbia's on the Upper West Side. Traffic is always terrible in the city, and it would be a nightmare to try to make that trek twice a day. It's my graduation present, really, but only on the condition that you live with me. Daddy seems to think you're a calming influence on me, even though he's never met you, so please say you'll live with me. Pretty please! And the apartment will be so much better than a dorm room! You have to live with me!"</p><p>Claire kept up a steady stream of reasons for me to live with her, trying to convince me. Finally, after three days of this, Veronica threw down her pencil. "Stell, please, put all of us out of our misery and tell her you'll live with her."</p><p>"Besides," Genni added, "we already know ya're gonna say yes. Ya're just messin' with her a' this point."</p><p>Claire gasped. "Is that true, Estrella? Have you been planning on saying yes this whole time?"</p><p>I grinned. "Of course. Why risk living with a psycho when I could live with you, who I already know how to live with?"</p><p>"Better the psycho you know," Veronica said reasonably, then dodged the pillow Claire threw.</p><p>"Well, maybe I don't want to live with you now," Claire then pouted.</p><p>"It's yar daddy's requirement," Genni pointed out, not even looking up from her essay on the French Revolution.</p><p>"I hate it when you are right," Claire sighed in disappointment. "I suppose I will just have to live with knowing that my best friends all secretly hate me."</p><p>All of us were far too used to her dramatic antics to be concerned. Instead, we began planning when the younger girls could visit us, and what all we would do when they did.</p><p>…</p><p>Graduation week was a flurry of activities: team exercises, final exams, one last field trip, and parent visits at the end of it all. I met the Warrens, Claire and Connor's parents, and they weren't quite what I expected. Well, her mom really was. Physically, she was an older version of Claire, but that's where the similarities ended. Mrs. Warren was rude, demanding, and dismissive of everyone, including her own children, just like Claire had always described her. Mr. Warren, however, wanted to know everything about the twins' lives. He showered them, and the rest of us, in compliments, and he really seemed to care about his children. I couldn't stop from questioning his motives, but only to Alex. "He's just not what I was expecting, from everything that Claire's said about him. And she's even surprised by it, I can tell!"</p><p>Alex smiled a bit. "Charles thought so, too, so he listened in on Mr. Warren's thoughts a bit, just to protect the twins. Apparently, he had a heart attack in November, and it's changed his perspective on life. He realized that he's already missed out on so much of their lives, and he doesn't want to miss anymore."</p><p>"Oh." I was more than a little surprised, and it took a minute to really comprehend it. "Well, as long as he doesn't hurt Claire anymore, I guess it's good, right?"</p><p>"Right," Alex laughed, tucking my under his arm, after a surreptitious glance to make sure no one was watching. "You're adorable when you get all protective, ya know."</p><p>"Like you have any room to talk," I scoffed.</p><p>"We're one big family, I guess. We watch out for each other."</p><p>…</p><p>For some inexplicable reason, I was incredibly nervous on the morning of graduation. There was just a feeling hanging over me, like nothing was going to be the same afterwards. And my nerves rubbed off on my roommates, making the four of us big tangles of tension.</p><p>Thankfully, graduation was scheduled for ten o'clock that morning, so we didn't have too long to wait. At nine-forty-five, Claire and I hugged our roommates, then joined Connor and the other two graduates, Patrick and Rebecca. Charles was there, grinning up at all of us, and when it was time, he led us in alphabetical order out to the side lawn, where everyone was waiting for us.</p><p>Claire, our valedictorian, gave a speech, which was both touching and funny in turn. Then Charles spoke, making a point to say something incredibly kind and personal about each one of us. "And now, I present to you Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters' graduating class of nineteen sixty-six."</p><p>At this point, we were each supposed to cross the stage as Charles called out our names. We would shake each faculty member's hand, then Hank at the end would hand us our diplomas. That's what happened with Patrick. And that's how it started for me. Charles called out, "Estrella Rosana Castellanos," and I walked over to him to shake his hand. Rachel shook my hand, and Sean scooped me up in a big hug. Then, as I got to Alex, I caught a very determined look before he was pulling me into his arms for a fiery kiss. When we finally pulled back for air, he grinned. "You aren't a student anymore."</p><p>I finished the rounds of shaking hands with a very red face, as Charles tried to settle everyone down. "I assure you all, Stella is over eighteen, and this is not a recurring thing."</p><p>The rest of the presentations went as planned, then we had a big luncheon for the graduates and visitors. I didn't have any family, at least not biological, but I didn't care, since I could now hold Alex's hand in front of any and everyone. We spent most of the time just sitting and talking with Genni, Veronica, and Sean, but Mr. Warren made a point to come and congratulate me.</p><p>Sean had just told some lame joke about a parrot and a preacher when it happened. I looked up just in time to see Hank, with a very determined look on his face, stalking toward Claire, who was facing the other way and talking with her mother. He tapped her shoulder, then when she turned to him, he kissed her. I could tell she was shocked at first, but she quickly got over it and very enthusiastically kissed him back.</p><p>Mrs. Warren started to screech at her husband to stop them, but he stopped her, instead. "As long as he treats our Claire with respect, I don't have a problem with it. Just make sure you don't hurt her, son," he told Hank, before dragging his still fuming wife away.</p><p>"I just love being a graduated adult," Claire sighed when they joined our table later.</p><p>"It is pretty great," I agreed, kissing Alex's cheek with a grin.</p><p>…</p><p>Summer passed in a happy blur. We spent a week at the Warrens' house in the Hamptons, where Claire and Connor made real strides toward an actual relationship. And Genni was able to actually hold a conversation with him by the end of the week, so that was progress. But mostly, we just spent time together, not really worried about what the world had in store for us later.</p><p>Two weeks before Claire, Connor, and I were to leave for the city, Alex got a telephone call. It was very short, and he looked terribly shaken once he hung up. "My little brother is a mutant. He just blew a hole in the roof. With his eyes."</p><p>"Let's go pick him up," Sean said immediately.</p><p>Charles grinned. "We always have room for another student."</p><p>"Your folks live in California, right?" Hank looked like he was already plotting the fastest route there.</p><p>As the rest of our team prepared for the trip, Alex was looking rather shell-shocked. "We do anything for family," I murmured. "Now, let's go get your little brother. I can't wait to meet him."</p>
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